What It Really Takes to Lead: Engaging Employees and Building a Team That Stays

Business leaders and executives have different experiences and points of view on what it takes to be an effective leader. But here's what I've learned after years of leading teams: the leaders employees remember — and stay for — are the ones who show up for them as human beings first. For me, the foundation of a trusted leader starts with being approachable, available and authentic. Living out those traits means taking the time to get to know employees on a personal level while empowering the team to succeed together. Great leaders have the ability to guide their team toward a well-defined vision by putting into practice these principles:

Cultivate a personal connection

I’ve always believed in a “people first, employees second” philosophy. With my team, I’ve seen firsthand the positive shift in employees’ attitudes and commitment once they realize that I’m looking out for their best interests, not only as their manager, but as their mentor and friend. That means that I set aside time on a regular basis to listen to what each of my team members have going on – both professionally AND personally. This isn't about prying — it's about genuinely caring. And employees can tell the difference.

Drive engagement and retention

Doing work we’re good at drives engagement, and engagement drives retention. In order to understand what we are good at, we first must identify our strengths. Helping employees identify skills needed for the future and considering multiple pathways to grow those skills enhances the employee’s career options. This also drives engagement and retention. As a result, productivity, morale and involvement are increased, which contributes to employee retention. As a result, productivity, morale and involvement are increased, which contributes to employee retention.

One of the ways we support this at EDSI is through our proprietary Skilldex® software system — a tool we developed specifically to help leaders and employees get clear on role-specific knowledge, responsibilities and tasks by measuring pre-established competency levels. It came out of a real need we saw: employees and managers often aren't aligned on what "great" looks like in a given role. Skilldex® helps bridge that gap.

For more information on Skilldex®, click here.

When employees know their expectations and have the tools they need to meet and exceed those expectations, we set them up for success. In turn, we keep them engaged and committed to personal, professional and company goals. This results in great talent wanting to stay and grow with the company. This is how great leaders lengthen the tenure of their very best employees.

Be flexible

By building rapport with employees on a personal level and using that knowledge to guide the work being done every day on the job, we make employees feel part of the team and more connected to the company. If I can lend an ear while an employee vents about a struggle happening in their life, I’m glad to do it. I may even be able to lessen or reorganize their workload to allow some needed breathing room while they work through an issue at home.

One situation that has stayed with me occurred when I noticed one of my team members struggling after she returned from maternity leave. She was having trouble keeping her head above water, a task that she previously took in stride. After many months of conversations and insight into her personal life, I took some initiative and started to investigate other opportunities that would possibly be a better fit for her. I ended up presenting her with a lateral move opportunity in another office that was much closer to her home, which reduced her commute time and lowered her stress level. Although it provided somewhat of a logistical strain for me to implement, it was worth it because it created the ideal work-life balance solution for her. As a servant leader, I believe her confidence and wellbeing — as a professional and as a mother — mattered just as much as her output. 

This kind of intentional, personalized support is actually at the heart of our Career Sculpting program at EDSI — an approach we developed to help organizations retain talent by shaping roles and opportunities around the whole person, not just a job description. For more information on Career Sculpting, click here: https://www.edsisolutions.com/blog/view/why-your-company-should-invest-in-career-sculpting.

By taking the extra step to anticipate my team member’s needs in that situation, she avoided getting burned out or resigning, and the level of trust and respect between us increased. The end result was a valuable employee being retained and reenergized. A win-win.

Being flexible and open minded to change allows you to not only think outside of the proverbial box, it allows you to get rid of the box altogether. An organizational chart needs to be fluid not only for change in our business, it needs to change for our talent as well. In today's workplace, where employees have more options than ever, flexibility isn't a perk. It's a retention strategy.

You may have heard the saying "people don't leave companies, they leave managers." I take that seriously. My goal is to be the kind of leader that makes leaving unthinkable — not through obligation, but through genuine investment in each person on my team.