Engaging Employees Begins with an Engaged Leader

Employee engagement evolves organically from a leader’s engaging behavior and an engaging organizational culture. It is really not a “formula.” It boils down to leading and creating organizational culture in ways that stimulate trust, show interest in the individual’s wellbeing, and stimulate meaning/purpose. Going to a job that one is passionate about is totally different than going to the very same job just to collect a paycheck. While there are those who are simply wandering through life and have no vision for themselves, most people are looking for meaning.

It’s the proverbial “Man’s Search for Meaning”—man meaning the human race. I have found as a business owner that I have the power to create meaning by getting clear about a few important items:

* My heartfelt core values – what do they look like (imagine) in my life?
* Why are my values important to me?
* Why am I in business, and how does my business intersect with these values?
* How can I express my values through my business?
* How can I help my employees to tap into these same areas for themselves?

Asking yourself questions instead of “knowing” all the answers can be really powerful. I discovered that common values lead to trust, seeing people with a more humane focus, and taking a personal interest in the person. If people are valued, a natural outcome is to help them to learn, grow, and enjoy their work.

One day I had this epiphany. As I took the time to create the inner clarity, I developed the passion and inspiration to create the structure to bring these ideas to my external world, which included my staff. Excellence was my goal, and I could let go of the insecurity of perfectionism. Vulnerability is power and requires less fear – fear-less.

These simple steps ultimately lead to the clarity to create processes and structures that are innovative and more effective/efficient, and lead to better teamwork and cooperation and better customer relations. Why? Because a human being on a mission living with purpose is a magnet to attract success. It is contagious. Of course, my profits increased significantly. A culture of positivity can be easier to spread than negativity if the leader walks the talk and perseveres. People are looking for joy and happiness. This requires inner transformation.

“There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” ~Morpheus, from “The Matrix”

A passionate person with a goal greater than selfish/self-centered gain brings out the best in those around him or her. Action always speaks louder than words. When we can become clear enough to manifest into the world our values through our work, the organizational culture will not only shift upward but the energy, health, and vitality of the community as a whole will also take an upward leap.

I believe that this is where the workplace must focus as a destination if our society is to be successful at overcoming the challenges we are faced with. Business-as-usual is dying, and clinging to what no longer serves the individual human or the greater collective is self-destructive to the people and the environment. It sounds dramatic, but science is making very evident the inter-relatedness of the planetary ecosystem, and people are a part of it. It’s not rocket science.

The “enemy” is within, and it is ignorance of our own magnificent potential. What is the limiting factor? It’s lack of awareness of the power to control our attention, which impacts our adaptability, our productivity, resiliency, creativity, and empathy – all keys to a highly effective workplace. In other words, how we think and feel is the root of the problem, not a simple Band-Aid.

How our brain works and how to apply this “inner technology” are what we need to learn, not just another leadership course. Master this, and it won’t take very long to effect change in yourself and in your organization. It does take courage.