Responsible Leadership and how to give permission to treat employees in a way that promotes natural human behaviour
As leaders we are responsible for making sustainable business decisions that meet the expectations of the shareholders, customers, the environment and our employees. The performance of our business is constantly measured. Daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly targets are set, and we align our resources and assets to achieve the expectations set by the shareholders, which generally consist of revenue and profit. So, it is not surprising that we find it challenging to find the time to focus on one of our key responsibilities, our employees. All too often we start to talk about the “softer� aspects of our businesses and commit to taking how we treat our people more seriously as human beings. We hold one to one and group forums and receive great feedback, then overnight the performance of the business becomes the number one priority and our good intentions are diverted to more pressing matters. Sound familiar?
The people within our organisations are a key factor as to how well our business performs.
All leaders know this, but we forget that they are human with the same fundamental needs that span all cultures and historical periods. We all have the same inner needs to be autonomous or selfreliant and be connected to one another. As leaders we are responsible to ensure these needs are satisfied for the individual, the group and the environment that we operate.
To understand what satisfies our people, and ultimately drives their human behaviour, we must firstly give ourselves the permission to take time and find common ground with our people. This requires an interest in others and a measured amount of disclosure or openness from us. Human behaviour is a result of attempts to satisfy certain needs and it is the leader’s role to influence that behaviour for the benefit of the business. To influence behaviour, we must first understand it before we begin to motivate it, ensuring that the behaviour is an output that satisfies their own needs.
