Edition 11: Taking Action Through Helpful Leadership
Joe Folkman
Co-Founder, Global Authority in Psychometrics and Research, Leadership, and Change. Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Executive Coach.
In a recent Harvard Business Review article, authors Rasmus Hougaard, Jacqueline Carter, and Marissa Afton described the difference between EMPATHY and COMPASSION.
“It is helpful to consider the two distinct qualities of compassion: understanding what another is feeling and the willingness to act to alleviate suffering for another. The following image visually distinguishes compassion from the similar experiences of empathy, sympathy, and pity.”
You probably have been givers and receivers of all of these traits.?
You felt sorry for someone.?You felt their pain.?You sat with them in that pain and listened to them.?And maybe you took a step forward and did something about it.
You became a helper.?
The actions of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspired us all this past week. With his own life threatened and the loss of many of his compatriots’ lives,?he was offered a chance to be evacuated by the US so he could continue to govern in safety. He reportedly responded: “The fight is here: I need ammunition, not a ride.”
A true example to us all of helpful leadership.?
Helping and serving others reinforces the connection people have with their colleagues, but it also increases our sense of well-being and can lower depression. In my research on resilience, I discovered that leaders who provided service to others and were described as “helpful” were more resilient.
Who are these “helpers” in the workforce who take their empathy and turn it into compassionate service??
From Zenger Folkman’s database of global leaders, we created a helpful index. The items included in this index assessed not only their interpersonal skills, but also:?
When we think about essential behaviors for leaders, we often focus on driving hard for results, being strategic, championing change, problem-solving ability, or innovation.?
Most often, the skill of helping others seems to be useful but not essential.?
What is the impact of being helpful, and how does it influence direct reports’ perceptions of their manager’s effectiveness?
The graph below shows?360-degree assessment ?results from 98,001 leaders rated by their direct reports on helping behaviors. It is easy to see those helpful leaders (those in the top 10%) are rated as significantly more effective than unhelpful leaders (those in the bottom 10%).
Impact of Helpfulness on Other Leadership Behaviors
The skill of helping others had a substantial positive impact on many other leadership behaviors. The graph below shows the 360-assessment evaluations of 97,750 direct reports and their managers’ effectiveness on six competencies. It compares those who scored above average to those who scored below average on the top six helping competencies. Each of the six shows at least a 40-percentile point difference!
The seemingly empty offer we say to others, “let me know if I can help,” is full of good intention. But the reality is that we rarely ask for help, and we often don’t understand how to help.?
That’s why this analysis is useful in pointing us in the direction that will enable you to compassionately help those around you.?
What kind of HELP has the most impact??
1.????Help Them to See Their Role—Leaders who were more helpful spent the time to help others understand the strategy and their role in implementing the strategy.
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2.????Help Them Know Their Purpose—Helpful leaders were significantly more inspiring. They were able to get employees excited and passionate about achieving difficult goals and objectives.
3.????Help Them Understand the Objectives—Helpful leaders were willing to explain things more than once. They spoke directly to their audience.
4.????Help Them Become Better—Helpful leaders were viewed as being more concerned about the careers and development of their direct reports. Helpful leaders were more likely to be willing to provide coaching and act as a mentor.
5.????Help Them Connect With Others—Helpful leaders knew how to cultivate positive relationships within their teams and incorporate their work with other departments within the organization.?
6.????Help Them Achieve Great Things—Helpful leaders were much more effective at getting their direct reports to make a real effort to achieve difficult objectives.
How can leaders help people to stay??
Retaining talent is a critical issue for almost every organization right now. When high-performing employees decide to quit, the cost of replacing and retraining new employees is often five times their salary.?
We discovered that those considering leaving or feeling neutral were an excellent indication of actual turnover. Approximately 50% of those thinking about quitting actually quit.?The graph below shows the results from 97,776 managers who were rated on their effectiveness at helping others and the intention of their direct reports to quit. The bars represent the percentage of employees thinking about quitting. Those managers rated the lowest on their effectiveness at helping had 49% of their employees thinking about quitting.?
Those helpful leaders rated in the top 10% on helping had only 13% thinking about quitting.
Being a Helpful Leader is Very Helpful
The skill of being helpful is not difficult to master. A great deal of the skill comes from a desire to help and be of service to others. Most people believe this is a nice skill to possess, but hopefully, this research reinforces the profound impact that being helpful can have on others and a leader’s ability to succeed.?
Don’t just look for the helpers—become one.
Your friendly neighborhood psychometrician,
Joe Folkman
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Check out?The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast ?which ranked in the Top 20 on Apple Podcasts Business Management List in over 25 countries!?
Episode 49: Lessons in Empathy and Competitiveness from Ted Lasso , Episode 60: The Balance Between Coaching and Managing , or Episode 27: What Makes a Leader Resilient?
Zenger Folkman ?hosts a live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and join in a conversation about their latest research in?leadership development . Learn more and register?here .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe is globally recognized as a top leader in the field of psychometrics and leadership.?He is the co-founder and President of?Zenger Folkman , a firm specializing in 360 Assessments, leadership, and organizational development. He has over 30 years of experience consulting with some of the world’s most prestigious and successful organizations, public and private. As the 2021 recipient of?ATD’s Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award , Joe was recognized for his extensive research and contributions to the learning and development industry. He is a best-selling author/co-author of nine books and a sought-after speaker, consultant, and executive coach with the ability to connect with audiences through compelling research and inspiring stories. Joe is the co-host of?The 90th Percentile Podcast ?and featured instructor in?Zenger Folkman’s Leadership Courses.
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to book Joe Folkman as a speaker, please contact us at?[email protected] .
If you are involved in leadership development in your organization and would like to know more about Zenger Folkman, please get in touch at [email protected].
Hi Joe. This is a great post. The data is compelling. Leaders who are helpful are seen as better leaders. When coaching leaders we often find that whilst they may be good at reading people and adapting their style to others' needs, they lack natural talent/capability in empathy. This means that they tend to prioritise focus on delivering results over care and concern for their people, which undermines their colleagues' perception of their leadership. People see their commitment to making the business a success as being the selfish pursuit of their own interests. Leaders who want to be great ask if lacking empathy matters. My response is always: "You can't pretend empathy at the emotional level.if you don't have it. However, you don't actually have to care (have a big heart) you just have to look like you do! Actions speak louder than words, so if you ensure your people are looked after and devote yourself to making them successful, the harder you push for the goal, the more they believe you are looking after them.
Co-Founder and Renowned Expert in Leadership Development, Assessment, and Change. Best-Selling Author, Highly Respected Speaker, Consultant and Executive Coach.
2 年A powerful reminder to act and not just offer.