Because we know that leaders set the culture for their team or division by what they do, don’t do, allow or don’t allow, we began our work with Sarah by measuring and quantifying her current reality and the overall impact her leadership was truly having on those around her. By gathering valuable information from a variety of perspectives, including: her direct supervisor, peers, employees, and others in the organization—as well as from her own self-assessment— we measured her Leadership Quotient to determine her level of being a ‘Creative’ vs. ‘Reactive’ leader. We were able to identify not only “what” was or was not contributing to her level of effectiveness, but also “why” this was so. The insight gained from understanding her ‘Creative’ and ‘Reactive’ tendencies became a catalyst for growth. Using the assessment results as the launchpad for our coaching and development conversations, Sarah increased her level of awareness and accountability.
She was engaged and eager to apply her learning to make things better for herself, her team, and her company. She cared. That was clear. And she put in the time and effort to make a profound transformation. By the end of our time together, Sarah’s department had become the MODEL for employee engagement in her company. She was thriving in her role, more effective, and less stressed. Her team was excited about their work. Their trust, appreciation and respect for their newlytransformed leader increased drastically. Because of this, Sarah’s department began performing better than ever! She was later asked by the VP of HR to share with her peers her journey of success.
And it DOES change, when leaders are willing to grow and when companies are willing to invest in raising their overall leadership effectiveness. People spend the majority of their lives at work, and from what I’ve learned in my 30 years of business and leadership experience: the majority of employees want to contribute and provide value in a meaningful way, and they want to be engaged and successful at work. When leaders become more aware, accountable and learn to operate primarily from a ‘CREATIVE’ mindset, they draw out the best from their teams, employee engagement increases, and they experience outstanding business results.
Leaders Make a Difference… Stories like Sarah’s are such an encouragement. While there is a trend in the U.S. of many employees being discouraged and disengaged, this reality CAN change.
Alissa DeWitt, MCC, CPC, CERS
Founder | CEO & Executive Leadership Coach Alissa@TheExecutiveImpact.com www.TheExecutiveImpact.com
www.HRProfessionalsMagazine.com
25
