Why Every CEO Needs to Realize the Importance of Value-based Leadership and Implement it As a CEO, you should focus on yourself and your employees' wellbeing and nothing beyond that
By Shweta Sinha
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Ensuring successful and robust enterprises is a simple task if one strives mindfully towards it. Key to it lies in the people, particularly its top management. Much as we would like to believe otherwise, everything filters from the top - the work environment, culture and its ethos.
Couple of things I have come across and observed in my career of two decades is the way you treat and take care of your people. The interaction between people and their productivity is impacted if we do not communicate effectively. One of the top concerns which negatively impacts effective communication and therefore work output is feedback. Much is flouted, misused and taken for granted in the garb of giving feedback. It usually breaks people instead of making them.
There are a couple of key attributes/behavioural traits which every entrepreneur/CEO needs to observe and imbibe. I will begin with the most commonly used/misused one.
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Feedback
One needs to understand that feedback is just feedback, nothing more, nothing less. There is nothing correct or incorrect about it. It is just a point of view. This will make you view feedback dispassionately and objectively. The sooner we start taking feedback in this manner, our acceptability and ability to deal with it grows. Our ability to tweak and perhaps rework our approach (basis the feedback) to problems/issues also just may go up. I have seen, in my experience that if feedback is given in a correct manner, more importantly with the right vibrations, chances are that it'd also be taken in the right way.
Equally importantly, as a leader give feedback in the right manner. Don't go by hearsay, don't embrace it, don't make it your own and convey it to the recipient. This does not constitute feedback. This is an accusation and highly unprofessional. A real leader would never do this. No one should do this. Many people unkindly run the other person down under the garb of giving feedback. This is not feedback. Feedback should never be judgmental. There is a thin line between healthy feedback and criticism. Guard against it.
Work
Yes, I can't reiterate this enough. An organization will only grow when its people do what they are meant to do, the reason why they are there in the first place, to work. And leaders have to drive this. As an entrepreneur, as a CEO do not indulge in tittle-tattle. Keep the focus on yourself and your employees' wellbeing and nothing beyond that. It should be work all the way. There should not be any room for anything else. When you gossip, you inadvertently run other people down. Be very conscious and mindful of this fact. Keep the focus on yourself and not others. Be empathetic.
As an employee, do not lose sight of the fact that you have a job to do, the reason why you joined the organization in the first place. This is very critical to your own progress across any parameter
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Right Company
Be in the company of elevated people, at work or outside. Choose wisely. They say birds of a feather flock together. This is true of organizational space too. By being mindful of your interactions and more importantly their quality, you will learn a lot. Simply put, you will grow into a better professional and human being and be responsible for really motivated, positive and highly productive employees.
Nurture People
Genuinely care about your employees and their family's wellbeing. When people feel well cared for, their output and dedication invariably goes up.
Develop Team Spirit
Actively encourage team members to help each other. This will help closer interactions at work, foster team spirit and most importantly will get them to learn from each other. Be generous but fair with your praises.
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Dependability
This works and is required both ways. Guide your people when need be, but allow them to lead. This will build up their confidence tremendously. This may happen over time but will definitely yield positive results. These rules apply to start-ups as well. Be at hand to course correct if the need arises but unless the space is not given to your team member to contribute, he or she never will. No organization however big or small can hope to grow in such a scenario. Grow your people, your company will grow.
Trust
Repose complete, absolute faith and trust in your people unless proved otherwise. Vice versa trust your leader. Understand that you have a job to do, take guidance if required and once you are on the same page, work accordingly. Do not veer from your path because in doing so, you will derail the entire process and defeat the purpose of the advice and guidance taken. When in doubt, ask. Never assume.
Be passionate
A lot has been said on this already. Be passionate about everything you do. If you don't like it, change your job but do full justice to it till the time you are there. This will reap rich rewards in more ways than you can imagine- in your career, in your life.
Let this be your attitude or way of life.
