It is an interesting time in our home as my wife, Linda, is preparing for retirement after a 30+ year commitment to teaching in our public schools. My retirement is not even on the horizon, but sadly, she is literally counting down the days until she is done. This has provoked a lot of conversation in our household about just how many people are counting down the days until retirement and why? What type of leadership inspires employees and creates a drive within them? What kind of leadership inspires disengagement or burnout? And also, an appreciation that leaders themselves are also employees dealing with the same issues.
I was reading a recent article referencing a survey by LiveCareer. Some of my key takeaways include:
- 30% of employees would rather quit than go back to the office full-time after the pandemic.
- A 2018 Forbes study noted most employees would trust a total stranger over their boss.
- 79% of people who quit their jobs cited “lack of appreciation” as their main reason.
- Employee disengagement is at an all-time high.
In 2021, employees are looking for more flexibility in the workplace and employers who value their time, motivations, and preferences. Many will say they have proven their effectiveness with a flexible work schedule and the right leadership. Typically, the advice for leaders is to focus on Emotional Intelligence (EI), which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, thinking before acting, and turning up the volume on social skills such as collaboration, communication, a focus on the big picture, and positivity.
This is what we do at Leadership Circle! The Leadership Circle Profile™ invites insights to evolve the conscious practice of leadership. In the hands of a trusted coach, the LCP offers insight and direction on research-proven strategies to be effective and contribute at scale. It also gives us insight into the impact of our inner beliefs and assumptions such as fear, self-doubt, being right, playing it safe, etc., that can slow us down.
As Bill Adams quotes, “The process of developing extraordinary leadership is the same process as becoming an extraordinary person.”
May we all take the time and space to ask ourselves and see how we are contributing to a new workplace culture. How are we showing up everyday? How do our Reactive “triggers” impact others? And how can we better serve our coworkers and clients with this knowledge?
Mike O’Connor
Vice President of Business Development
Leadership Circle
