Increase Employee Retention

? Leading with Authenticity ?

I recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with Brian Beck , a remarkable B2B commerce leader. When I was in my early twenties, I had the privilege of working under Brian. One New Jersey winter day, the heat in our office went out, and Brian surprised the team with Rocket Dog clogs lined with fur to keep us warm. It wasn’t just the thoughtful gesture that stood out, but the authenticity behind it. He acknowledged that the situation was not ideal and took action to ensure we were comfortable and cared for. Brian's leadership wasn't just about driving business success; it was also about genuinely caring for his team. That simple act of kindness left an impression on me and taught me a valuable lesson about leadership:

True leaders lead with authenticity.

They understand that small, genuine actions can create lasting bonds and foster a positive work environment. It's not about grand gestures. It's not about empty promises or words. It's about consistently showing up with empathy, integrity, and a genuine concern. I kept those clogs for over ten years,

?Shout out to Rocket Dog Brands Rocket Dog Europe for making solid comfy footwear!

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It was in reconnecting with Brian I realized what the clogs represent. Brian's thoughtful gesture exemplifies the kind of small, meaningful actions that every leader can take to build trust and foster loyalty within their team

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Every leader can take these steps to increase authenticity and increase employee retention:

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• Show up for your employees

Be on time

Be prepared - leaders that do not meet with their direct reports regularly and cancel their one on ones are signaling that the employee does not matter. Leaders are always being watched. For a junior level employee that meeting with you, their leader is everything they have been waiting for. If you as the leader are late and unprepared your employee will not feel valued.

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• Listen - nothing is worse for an employee when they come to their one on one and their leader only talks about themselves and their own professional and personal problems. Take the time to really get to know your employees. Use the 80/20 rule. As a leader, you should actively listen to your employees and ask questions to better understand. Allow your employees to genuinely share concerns, opportunities, their feedback and accomplishments.

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• Observe and acknowledge? - when the circumstances are not ideal, say that out loud. So many employees are afraid to come to their leaders with concerns for fear that the leader will gloss over it and essentially would make themselves look incompetent.

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• Take action - every situation cannot be remedied with a fuzzy pair of clogs, wouldn't that be great! But you as the leader are able to assist in removing your employees barriers.

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Employee Retention and Loyalty

Employee retention and loyalty are not unicorns nor are they difficult to accomplish when leading with authenticity. Increased employee retention is represented through metrics: vacancy rate, employee turnover, time to fill etc But their intangibles and the long lasting bonds created between leaders and their employees which are fostered over every on time meeting, every prepared interaction and meaningful one on one. When employees feel heard and seen and valued for their contributions retention solidifies.

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We all know these leaders? they never have staffing challenges and hardly have turnover because they go out of their way to find the cozy comfy clog that the employee needs when the circumstances are not ideal.

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As I embark on a new journey, launching my own HR consulting business, TWO Partners , I am committed to grounding both my business and personal mission in the principle of authenticity. Our goal is to treat every client with the same authenticity and care that I learned from Brian.

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Let’s remember that leadership is about being real, being kind, and making a difference. Brian continues to exemplify this by generously sharing his time and insights with me.

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#Leadership #Authenticity #Inspiration #HRConsulting #NewBeginnings #TWOPartners