Engagement through Impactful Leadership 🌟

Hello HR Champions!

This is Mariam from HR Brain Pickings. 👋

In today’s edition, we’re taking a closer look at how leadership influences employee engagement. While there are many factors at play, which we've touched on before, let’s zoom in on the pivotal role leaders play in boosting engagement within their teams.💼

Do leaders really need to participate?🤔

The short answer: yes. If boosting employee engagement were a game, leaders would definitely be the MVPs. 😎

It’s super important for leaders to remember that engagement isn’t a solo sport where employees are left to their own devices. The way they interact, manage, and cheerlead (minus the pom-poms) can seriously sway whether employees are feeling involved or just watching the clock so that they can switch off from work.🕔

Let's Talk Impact

How do leaders really influence employee engagement? Let's dive into some eye-opening research and stats: 👀

Trustworthy Leadership:

Being a leader isn't all about calling the shots. Psychologists Kim Peters and Alex Haslam, who conducted the study, I Follow, Therefore I Lead discovered that leaders who roll up their sleeves and work alongside their team not only earn more trust but also respect.

They also noted that leaders should be perceived as part of the team, not above it. Apparently, those who considered themselves “born leaders” often couldn't get their team on board with that idea. 🥲

On the flip side, it was those who saw themselves more as team players or followers who eventually climbed the ladder to leadership positions. 👥

It turns out, being relatable and part of the crew is a big win in the leadership game! 🌟

Purpose-driven Work:

Remember our chat last week? We talked about how having a sense of purpose in work boosts engagement. Surprisingly, only 22% of employees feel their leaders clearly map out the organization's direction.

According to McKinsey, 'centered leadership' is the way to go. This means leaders who find meaning in work and foster a positive, enthusiastic environment, ramps up employee performance and teamwork.📈

The Power of Servant Leadership:

One of the top factors driving engagement? Feeling that leaders truly care about employees. 🤗 But get this, just 28% of employees are convinced that their leadership is deeply concerned about their well-being.😕

Managers should prioritize their team's well-being. This servant leadership approach ensures that when you take care of your team, they'll take care of the mission. 💪

Empathy in Management:

A significant 76% of employees are fully engaged when they have empathetic managers.🤝 But, a whopping, 52% think this empathy isn't genuine.

A McKinsey study points out that empathy is crucial in management. About 89% of employees are all in when they have empathetic managers. 💡

Recognition Matters:

Did you know that recognizing employees can bump up engagement by 40%?However, over 80% of employees feel they don't get enough appreciation at work.😕

Leaders play a crucial role in employee engagement, but there’s a clear perception gap between what leaders think and what employees feel about engagement at work.

This is where HR can step in. By building a solid business case for engagement initiatives, HR can help leaders see how an engaged workforce can drive business outcomes and why their participation is not just important but necessary.

We will dig deeper into this - keep an eye out for our upcoming issues! 🌟

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Today’s Key Takeaways:

Today’s Poll 📊

Lead with Empathy

Use EngageWith to recognize and foster empathy into your company values. Guide your team to a unified goal by connecting their everyday achievements to your company's core values.

Today’s Reads

• Read up on 10 Strategies to Get Senior Leadership Buy-In for Employee Engagement. 🤝

• What are Your Workplace Resolutions for the New Year? 💭

• Did your company release an RTO policy? Apparently most HRs believe RTO mandates are increasing employee turnover. 🤔

If you have any additional feedback or want me to cover a specific topic, interact with the feedback poll above. 🗒️

That's a wrap for now - see you next week!