Good leaders have to draw from the right sources. When they do, they have a perpetual spring of inspiration and influence as they impact their people and organizations. I’ve seen firsthand how leaders can build such loyalty and momentum that followers are willing to go above and beyond, and I’ve seen leaders cause morale to evaporate like a puddle in the desert.
Imagine an array of wells providing water options to supply the organizational community. Several wells have been exposed as ineffective, outdated, and counterproductive, while others have proven tried and true. How can leaders wade through the plethora of old and new practices and draw from wells that bring health to their organizations and people? They must consider the sources carefully, engage with humility, and take a longer view to evaluate and form their strategies. There are a few wells that rise to the top of the list.
The Well of Results
Results matter. However, results are not the ultimate gauge of leadership. Aside from the fact that doing so is cold and calloused, when leaders place the bottom line ahead of their people’s needs, there will be diminishing returns. Turnover, engagement, loyalty, and productivity are all connected to results, and leaders must dive deeper than the bottom line to see long-term health and success.
Framing organizational success as either profitability or employee satisfaction is a false dichotomy. Chapman and White (2019) acknowledged the legitimacy of a leader’s focus on return on investment while highlighting increased employee engagement and a 10-20% increase in productivity and revenue when levels of praise and recognition were improved (p. 34). Leaders must draw from the well of results, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also draw from other wells.
The Well of Motivation
There are many facets to motivation. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation each has its range of variables. Leaders must address issues like compensation, benefits, and paid leave, but this only scratches the surface and embodies a “compliance mindset.” Thomas (2009) described the compliance mindset of work as a “Sisyphus-like necessary evil of exchanging 40-60 hours of meaningless work for economic survival” (p. 23).
Leaders in all types of organizational contexts heavily rely upon “assumptions about human potential and individual performance that are outdated, unexamined, and rooted more in folklore than in science” and “pursue practices such as short-term incentive plans and pay-for-performance schemes in the face of mounting evidence that such measures usually don’t work and often do harm” (Pink, 2009, p. 9). What about meaning, purpose, and fulfillment? Are these nice but unnecessary aspects of consideration? Tapping into these powerful elements promotes the enthusiastic best of employees and meeting company performance goals (Craig, 2017). If appropriately balanced, the well of motivation can be a bottomless reservoir that brings inherent vitality and refreshment.
The Well of Communication
Leaders typically identify one of their strengths as communication. Ironically, one of the most common frustrations among followers is poor communication (The Workplace Communications Crisis, 2022). This well, perhaps more than any other, tends to run dry because of false assumptions and differences in style. The tendency to think of others with differing personalities and communication styles as idiots is likely a default mindset (Erikson, 2019). Taking the time to self-reflect, evaluate communication practices, and factor in varying kinds of communicators can help leaders bridge the gap between sending and understanding information.
There is also a disconnect in understanding the purpose of communication. Booher (2017) differentiated between tactical and strategic communicators, with the former “telling others how to get things done and the latter leading others to get the right things done” (p. 7). Reframing communication approaches and practices can mean the difference between informed and inspired or confused and frustrated followers.
There are plenty of organizational leadership presuppositions and new strategies for effectiveness. Podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs, books, seminars, degree programs, and consultants are all ways to lower the bucket and try to draw the water of effective leadership. There are many wells to choose from, but results, motivation, and communication are a powerful, refreshing triad when properly balanced, understood, and applied.
Works Cited
Booher, D. (2017). Communicate Like a Leader: Connecting Strategically to Coach, Inspire, and Get Things Done. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Chapman, G., & White, P. (2019). The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People. Moody Publishers.
Craig, W. (2017, June 20). Motivating Employees Should Be One of a Leader’s Top Priorities. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamcraig/2017/06/20/motivating-employees-should-be-one-of-a-leaders-top-priorities/?sh=5e83d0f1d7d6
Erikson, T. (2019). Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour (or, How to Understand Those Who Cannot Be Understood). Random House.
Pink, D. H. (2010). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Canongate Books.
Thomas, K. W. (2009). Intrinsic Motivation at Work: What Really Drives Employee Engagement. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
The workplace communications crisis. (2022). Axios. https://www.axioshq.com/research/comms-report-2022?utm_campaign=comms-report-2022&utm_source=pr summit&utm_medium=email&utm_content=comms-report-2022