When Your People Win, Your Company Wins
When Your People Win, Your Company Wins
By Markus Bohi
People over profits. It’s all they talk about in graduate school. However, the reality is that once leaders jump off the ledge of their ivory tower, people over profits become a saying that is clouded by the countless responsibilities that sit on an executive's shoulders. You think to yourself — I need to make my investors happy. I need to maximize bonuses this year. I need to keep from going out of business. As a leader, you have a lot on your shoulders. Not only are you responsible for production and performance, but you also have countless people depending on the profits of your company. From shareholders to partners to employees and customers. If you think about it, they’re all depending on the company’s profits, right?
If you want to be a truly great leader, it comes down to putting your team first. Winning isn't about getting ahead at all costs. It's about enlisting the help of others to achieve common goals. When you put your team first, they'll be more likely to return the favor. In turn, they’ll put your company first because they'll know that you're working for the good of the team, not just for yourself or for the people at the top. They'll trust you and believe in you, and they'll be willing to go above and beyond to help your company succeed.
When I was recruiting employees for our drugstores in California by the late ‘80s, there was no such thing as a benefits package – those that today include health insurance, a 401k, paid time off, etc. Actually, it wasn’t until after 1959, when Congress created a program of health benefits for federal employees and labor unions began to demand better benefits packages for their members. Even though it wasn’t popular or widespread, my team and I were determined to support our employees in any way we could. We wanted to take care of them. Slowly but surely, we began to roll out new benefits, new perks, and new add-ins that would sweeten the pot for the employees that held up our business.
We did something simple that made a big difference. We split our team into two groups and assigned times every month when one group would take a workday off, usually a Friday. On those days, the other group covered the bases. Mind you, remote work was not an option at that time. All the technology that allows us to transfer calls or use computer systems across different devices was not available in the ‘80s. But, it didn’t matter.
Taking extra time off not only helped our employees save money on gas and meals, but it also meant they no longer needed to choose between participating in their kid’s events or going to medical appointments and working to earn their money. We would even give them payment advancements if they had an emergency to help them feel secure and supported.
You don’t have to do what others do, you don’t have to wait until others take the initiative to show their employees they care. If you care, then show it. You can also show it in other, possibly even more effective ways. An article by Forbes discussed the ….
Of course, leading a team comes with many challenges. You can be the most incredible leader and still come across certain people who will take it for granted and spoil the pot. One of the most difficult aspects of leading people is dealing with dishonesty. Whether it's an employee who steals funds or takes credit for someone else's work, an employee who sabotages their teammates' efforts to appear better, or someone who embezzled money from the company, dishonestly is cancerous. It cuts down the company culture, makes others feel unheard and unappreciated, and it diminishes synergy across teams.
These kinds of incidents can be incredibly damaging to your business and painful for you as a person. However, while it may be tempting to give into feelings of anger and frustration in such situations, it is essential that you resist those urges and instead use them as learning opportunities. By reflecting on what went wrong and empowering yourself and your employees to think critically about the situation, you can develop stronger communication skills and become more resilient when faced with adversity.
Another important thing is that as a leader of people, you must be adaptable. Change is a constant in the business world, and what your employees need and expect from you can change over time as well. It's up to you to keep up. That might mean changing your management style, adjusting your company's policies, or even offering new benefits.
Take the recent trends as an example. We’re seeing more employees demanding to have the opportunity to work remotely, work part-time, or prioritize having time off over receiving monetary incentives. It is also essential that you understand and embrace the unique cultural backgrounds of your team. I used to live in Switzerland, where taking time off to rest and recharge is an important part of the work culture. In the United States, I’ve learned that it’s culturally more common to skip days off.
Even if you don’t have a presence in multiple countries, it is very likely that your team will be composed of diverse people. It’s critical to be intentional about understanding your employees on a deeper level and accommodating them as best you can rather than forcing a square peg into a round hole. Sooner or later, the peg will break.
By staying in tune with the needs of your people, you will be better able to meet the needs of your employees. This, in turn, helps to foster higher levels of engagement and productivity in the workplace. Furthermore, understanding different cultural viewpoints can help you become a more effective communicator, enabling you to reach out across teams and build strong relationships with people from all walks of life. As a good leader, it is up to you to understand what your team needs in order to help them succeed and thrive both individually and as a part of the greater organization.
When we lead with compassion and empathy, our employees will respond in kind, offering us their full commitment and loyalty. Without this level of engagement from our team members, it will be difficult for us to achieve our goals and realize our vision for the company. By approaching our employees with understanding and respect, we help them feel valued and appreciated.
It’s up to you to lead the people, not necessarily lead the business. If your head is too deep in the sand to realize this truth, you will inevitably lose your top talent. Not only does losing good employees use up valuable time and resources as you search for replacements or new hires, but it also causes setbacks and reduces productivity in the meantime. Treating your employees well is ultimately much less expensive and difficult than dealing with the negative consequences of a bad work environment. By prioritizing workplace respect and creating a positive working culture from the start, companies can set themselves up for more consistent success over the long term.
Empathy and flexibility are key components of successful leadership, so always strive to put yourself in the shoes of your team members and find ways to best meet their needs to show them that they matter. And, remember – when you put your team first, and they will put your company first. When the whole team puts the company first, that’s how your company will win.