REQUISITE HR BOOK CLUB, MAY 2016
Issue 1
Requisite HR Book Club May 2016 LEADERS EAT LAST BY SIMON SINEK
Welcome to the inaugural Requisite HR Book Club share. Each mid-month we will be sharing key learnings and interesting thoughts from a book. Plus offering up a challenge for to you apply the learnings from the book. We will be starting with chapters 1 & 2 from Leaders Eat Last (Why some teams pull together and others don’t) by Simon Sinek (author of Start with Why) Leaders are the ones who run headfirst into the unknown. They rush towards the danger. They put their own interest aside to protect us or to pull us into the future. Leaders would sooner sacrifice what is theirs to save what us ours. And they would never sacrifice what is ours to save what is theirs. This is what it means to be a leader. It means they choose to go first into danger, headfirst towards the unknown. And when the they feel sure they will keep us safe, We will march behind them and work tirelessly to see their visions come to life And proudly call ourselves their followers. Part 1 – OUR NEED TO FEEL SAFE Chapter 1 – Protection from Above Tells of a remarkable story of Captain Mike Drowley a A10 pilot and one night in Afghanistan in which he risked his life so that others; on the ground under fire, might survive.
CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO
The key point made in this chapter are: • In most linear hierarchies our team members want the team leaders to see what they have done. They are seeking recognition and reward, and for the majority of people they feel that the more recognition we get from our team leader they feel the more successful they are, which works fine as long as the team leader stays within the organisation – which is unrealistic in this day and age. • For people like Captain Drowley, the will to succeed and the desire to do things that advance the interest of the organisation aren’t just motivated by recognition from above, they are integral to a culture of sacrifice and service. • Captain Drowley credits one thing for giving him courage that night – Empathy. • Remarkable people in uniform who risk themselves for the benefit of others, when asked why they do it all say: ‘Because they would of done it for me” Simon believes that if conditions in which we work meet a particular standard, we would gladly share our glory and help others to success, and more importantly the people with whom we work would choose to do the same and that when that happens, bonds are formed, a strong foundation is laid for the kind of success and fulfilment that no amount of money, fame or awards can buy. This is what it means to work in a place in which leaders prioritise the wellbeing of their people and, in return their people give everything they’ve got to protect and advance the well-being if one another and the organisation.
• Exceptional organisations all have a culture in which leaders provide cover from above and the people on the ground look out for each other. And that this can be achieved in any organisation with empathy. Your Chapter Challenge: Identify what is the greatest current hazard to your team members, and determine what you can do to protect them. I.e. It is a lack of cash management that is putting the viability of the business at risk, Is it a changing market place that is making their jobs obsolete, Is it a workplace bully who is damaging morale, Is it a safety hazard? Big or small there are always hazards to identify and opportunities to protect the people at the coal face. Chapter 2 - Employees Are People Too Tells of Bob Chapman a CEO of a collection of manufacturing companies that bought mainly companies that where in distress financially and culturally. The first thing he would do when he told over a new company was to sit down and hear what the employees had to say. In the company takeover example provided the result was to inject empathy into the company and that trust would be the new standard. Preferring to see everyone as human instead of as a factory work or office employee. There was no ‘one thing’ that was done, but a series of little things that, over time, dramatically affected how the company operated.
The key points made in this chapter are: • To earn the trust of the people, the leader of an organisation must first treat them like people. To earn trust he must extend trust. • Why can’t we enjoy ourselves at work like we do when we are not at work? Create an environment where people feel like they can express themselves honestly and be recognised and celebrated for their progress. Don’t set out to change your employees, set out to change the conditions in which your employee’s operate, to create a culture that inspires people to give all they have simply because they love where they work. • By changing the environment in which people work, you can influence how the same people act towards each other. Feelings of belonging enabled people to relax and feel valued, people started to care for others as they feel cared for. A caring environment allows people to fully engage their heads and hearts which results in organisation thriving. People become more willing to help each other solve problems, they also look after the work better. • A caring culture allows people and strategies to flourish, people naturally work together to help each other and advance the company. Obligation is replaced by Pride, coming to work for the company is replaced by coming to work for each other. Revenue increases. • When people have to manage dangers from inside the organisation, the organisation itself becomes less able to face the dangers from outside. When trust and cooperation thrive internally, we pull together and the organisation grows stronger as a result. And when you have people that trust you, they’re going to do a better job for you to earn or keep that trust. • Deloitte Shift Index – 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. When people don’t even want to be at work, progress comes at much greater cost and effort and often doesn’t last.
• People who work in organisations that treat them like human beings to be protected rather than a resource to be exploited come home at the end of the day with an intense feeling of fulfilment and gratitude. • Leaders who create working environments better suited for how we are designed as people do not sacrifice excellence or performance simply because they put people first. Instead they are among the most stable, innovative and high-performing companies. • It is not the genius at the top giving direction that makes people great. It is great people that make the person at the top look like a genius. • As leaders it is our sole responsibility to protect our people and in turn, out people will protect each other and advance the organisation together. Being a leader is like being a parent, and the company is like a new family to join. One that will care for us like we are one of their own….in sickness and in heath. To inspire their cooperation, their trust and their loyalty so that they will commit to our cause. Your Chapter Challenge: Have an open and honesty conversation with your team members and hear what they have to say about how the company operates, then implement small and simple changes that create a caring environment, that shows empathy for its people.
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