As any dog owner will tell you, there is a simple, two-pronged way to train your dogs: reward them when they are good and condemn them when they are bad.
After the first industrial revolution, leaders in various industries adopted the same "soft and hard" management approach: to motivate employees to perform well and bear consequences for bad behavior. This method has been effective for a long time, but recently, with the fourth industrial revolution, the rules have changed. Today's employees need goals, inspiration and a sense of accomplishment. They responded to different motives, and yesterday ’s motives (mainly money and job security) no longer made the mustard smell disappear.
Despite this, many leaders are still striving to develop their leadership style. Paolo Gallo, former chief human resources officer of the World Economic Forum, commented:
"In the vast majority of cases, even in the most innovative industries with the most 'knowledge workers', we tend to use the same method of management as we paid close attention to factory workers during the Industrial Revolution."
As the CEO of the company, I understand the challenges you face in developing your leadership style and meeting the needs of today ’s employees. With the popularity of COVID-19, this has made more and more teams work remotely more than ever, and effective leadership is especially urgent. This is a continuous process and often requires continuous learning.
I have thought a lot about my management style and studied the success and mistakes of others. Here, some of the most successful leaders seem to practice the principles of leadership.
1. Treat yourself as a teacher
The best leaders provide advice and guidance on a range of topics, rather than the four corners of an employee ’s current position. In addition to formal, planned guidance, they also do it in person, and whenever they have the opportunity, do it.
Sydney Finkelstein wrote for "Harvard Business Review":
"Cognitive psychologists, teachers, and education consultants have long recognized the value of this personalized teaching: it can not only cultivate ability or compliance, but also cultivate the grasp of skills and the independence of thought and action.
Not only do they show employees how to do work, they also show themselves how to become leaders.
Through their actions, these efficient bosses demonstrated their commitment to employee growth. Take Ralph Lauren as an example-Mindy Grossman was the former CEO of Polo Jeans Ralph Lauren and later became a weight watcher ( The CEO of Weight Watchers, he recalled that Lauren regularly explained to employees how to achieve the authenticity and integrity of fashion, whether it is "a $ 24 T-shirt or a $ 6,000 crocodile skirt."
They transcended the role of boss and imparted their unique insights and craft knowledge.
2. Forget the one-way-top-down way of thinking
We have all heard complaints about millennials-how do they seek more in their careers (such as a sense of accomplishment) while demanding work-life balance. The best leaders already know how to use their team spirit-their unique ability to influence change through collective action.
Consider a strategy recently implemented by the World Economic Forum: instead of instructing young people on how to achieve their goals, they invite young people to choose projects in the community and figure out how to achieve these goals. The result is a staggering number of innovative projects that have affected the lives of more than 500,000 people.
Sitting your employees at the table and helping them make bigger plans will not only inspire and motivate them-you may come up with more innovative solutions than you think.
3. Consider the needs of employees
"Lunch is for cowards."
"Money never sleeps."
These quotes come from the most infamous boss in movie history: Gordon Gekko on Wall Street, which represents a mentality that dominated the financial world in the late 1980s-a "hard work" culture that has also become the norm in Silicon Valley .
But today ’s best leaders recognize that employees who take regular breaks will be happier, more engaged, and more productive. According to a survey by Harvard Business Review, the company has more than 19,000 employees at all levels of companies in all walks of life. "When meeting the four basic needs, people feel better, perform better, and are more sustainable. Value (emotion), focus (spirit) and purpose (spirit). "
Employees need to rest. They need a working atmosphere where they can concentrate. They need to understand how to contribute value to the organization and remind them of higher goals. Even if your team is working remotely now, you can still ensure these needs through video calls and regular check-ins.
Happy and dedicated employees can make the company more profitable. A meta-analysis study of nearly 200 companies found that the most engaged employees of the employers were 22%, which was more profitable than the least engaged employees.
It's worth considering your employees as unique individuals, not just gears in machines.
Research has shown that:
OKRs-E is an effective, simple and efficient method for implementing, managing and communicating goals and results throughout the organization.OKRs-E is a key thinking framework and continuous discipline that enables employees to concentrate and make measurable contributions.
Management master Drucker: OKR is a simple and direct goal management method
4. Constantly enhance your vision
When we say vision, it is your "ideal picture of future success" for your organization. Remember, this is different from your mission, which is why your organization exists. For example, suppose you have made eco-friendly glasses. Your mission may be to continuously improve people's vision; your vision is to expand your business to multiple continents while minimizing the environmental footprint.
Every employee from internship to CEO should have a clear vision when he goes to work every day, even if the vision changes over time. When I first started JotForm, I was the only employee. The "ideal ambition" of my success today is far from the early days, and I have a responsibility to share this vision with more than 140 employees. This is not to say that they cannot contribute to forming our vision-they do so often. But I have a responsibility to ensure regular communication.
I like the explanation of Iena Exec CEO Elena Bajic:
"Although Ivy Exec's vision is mine, I cannot achieve it on my own. I need the team's understanding, support, and enthusiasm to work together to make the company move forward, and everyone likes to use the term" scale. "
Keeping these leadership principles in mind, I hope you and your team can work smarter and more sustainable to achieve a shared vision.
