What Employees Want From Their Leaders

Photo by Memento Media on Unsplash

G2 Solutions talks a lot about the importance of humble leaders when we work with our clients. These types of leaders see the importance of

• Accepting feedback

• Acknowledging mistakes

• Asking others for help and 

• Actively listening. 

We might add another ‘A’ to the list:

Adopting the employee’s perspective. 

Putting yourself in your employees’ shoes and trying to understand what is truly important to them is an essential leadership tool.  

A practical first step in implementing this approach is understanding what types of company information employees find most important. AXIOS, a digital media company investigated whether employers and employees crave the same information by asking both groups the following question:

What are the most critical updates to create alignment among teams or departments? 

The groups were given the same multiple choice options and asked to rank them in order of importance. 

What happened?

Well….it wasn’t what they were hoping for: 

The top 3 answers the employees gave were:

• Operational changes - process and policy updates

• Organizational goals - plans and new initiatives

• People Operations - benefits 

What about the leader's top 3?

• Culture and values

• Personnel updates - new hires and team departures

• People Operations - benefits

Well at least there is one common point on the list!

This survey highlights a very human challenge: we often struggle to see things from someone else’s perspective. So, let’s try stepping into an employee’s shoes by looking at what a variety of surveys reveal about what employees really look for from their leadership.

Excellent Communicators

Most employees want leaders to increase their transparency. No one likes to feel like they are being “handled”. Less spinning and more direct, factual information increases the trust between employees and management. In addition, people want to feel connected. Jacob Goldstein, founder and director of the Leadership Laboratory highlights customizing your communication style to fit the team’s unique characteristics. He stresses the importance of getting to know your direct reports and spending some time thinking about the best way to communicate with them. For example, some employees may want you to get straight to the point while others might want a little chit chat before getting down to business. 

Leaders Who Hear Them 

Communication is a two way street. As important as incoming communication is, outgoing communication is just as important. This is a key element that G2 Solutions discusses with our clients. People have an innate desire to be heard and will get frustrated quickly if they feel stymied. You want to up your listening game if you are going to glean the benefits of the valuable insights and ideas that your teams can provide.

To start, you need to assess your listening habits. 

• When you schedule time with an employee, how much time do you spend talking compared to listening?

• How many ways do you provide for employees to provide feedback?

• What do you do to show employees how their input has been used?

These questions get to the heart of effective listening. It is important to remember that giving employees an opportunity to be heard is meaningless if their ideas are ignored. Circling back to provide feedback on suggestions shows that their voices matter. When employees feel genuinely heard, they are more productive and they will trust you when decisions don’t go their way. However, when they feel dismissed or cut off, the result is resentment, and disillusionment.

Effective listening also involves good timing. Respecting employees’ time signals that their input matters. For example, asking thoughtful questions when someone is in the middle of an urgent task can unintentionally communicate that you are not truly interested in what they have to say. Choosing the right moment helps ensure that listening feels sincere.

Leaders with Integrity

Integrity is the secret sauce of effective leadership. Leaders demonstrate integrity by consistently striving to do the right thing and by being open and honest even when it’s difficult. Employees need to trust that you are a person of your word. When that trust exists, they will follow you through both good times and challenging ones.

Integrity is also shown through the way leaders respect their workforce. Just as people have a strong need to be heard, they also expect to be treated with basic respect. Leaders demonstrate this by being open and transparent, keeping employees informed, explaining the reasoning behind decisions, and remaining open to critical feedback. When someone leads with integrity it shines through all operations of an organization. Leaders who honor their commitments, communicate honestly, and act consistently cultivate loyalty and create stronger, more engaged teams.

Leaders who Value Them

Warren Buffet said, "Your team is your most valuable asset, treat them that way and it will pay dividends". We second that!  Everyone in an organization provides value. Leaders who actively appreciate their employees foster a culture where people feel engaged and inspired to advance the company’s vision. This is accomplished in both big and small ways. Providing a strong benefits package and responsive employee policies speaks volumes to your employees. You want to think about the characteristics of your workforce as you develop these programs. For example, if you have a workforce that is composed of professionals that require continuing education, think about offering compensation for some of these courses. On the other hand, if you have a company filled with young families, offering flexible work schedules may be more the ticket. Valuing others isn’t found only in these big gestures. Setting aside time to get to know your employees communicates that you value them not only as workers, but as people. Periodically scheduling time to visit teams or staying late to personally connect with the cleaning staff are simple ways to reap big benefits.

Make it a regular part of your leadership practice to slip off your organizational leader shoes and into the shoes of your employees. You want to make sure that both pairs fit well so everyone can take steps forward toward a successful future.