Have you ever worked for an excellent, intentional leader? If you have, you probably experienced higher employee engagement – a positive emotional connection to your work and workplace. This engagement generally leads to more productivity and better outcomes. Essentially, happy employees are successful employees. And it is a leader’s job to positively impact employee engagement.
When you lead with intention, you foster an environment that teaches your employees that their work matters. You help them feel the importance of their contribution, build their self-confidence, and connect their work to their own core values. But this doesn’t just happen.
You do this by using your role as a leader to motivate, coach, and engage your team members so they become more self-reliant and independent. People feel empowered when they have a strong sense of pride in their work.
One of the most influential trends across the globe right now is the practice of customer preference. CEOs and executive leadership teams are implementing customer experience strategies. The customer experience is a direct result of the employee experience. Empower your people to be engaged and passionate about the customer experience and you will get greater fulfillment and engagement all around. This customer-first approach can cause a fundamental shift in how teams and leaders operate, serving as a catalyst for developing a culture of empowerment.
When you, as the leader, have a growth mindset, you believe in endless possibilities for your company and your people. And when you help your employees develop their own growth mindset, they carry that belief into their own work, knowing they can always learn and grow – becoming the best version of themselves.
One thing you can do to model a growth mindset and encourage it within your teams is to share your own mistakes and failures. When your employees see you open up about their own vulnerabilities, they feel safe to acknowledge their own vs. hiding behind them.
Intentional leaders know that there is much more to leadership than being in charge. They believe in their people, and they make sure everyone knows it. They take a genuine interest in their employees and encourage both personal and professional growth. Championing your people looks like helping them develop their skills, paying attention to their happiness, focusing on keeping morale up, and creating a sense of goodwill and loyalty.
When you are on your employees’ side, they can feel it in everything you do!
The best leaders are always open to learning new things, approaching their people with a sense of curiosity. When you are interested in exploring and learning about their passions and perspectives, you’re not just learning – you’re also modeling open, transparent leadership. Employees are more willing to contribute their voice and skills when they feel like they are appreciated and understood. This humble and curious approach to leadership helps everyone improve!
Lifelong learning is the new normal for leaders these days. By committing yourself to a learning mindset, you are committing yourself to being an intentional leader.
Intentional leadership means consistently putting these effective leadership principles and skills into practice and fostering a culture of engagement. Our leadership style matters. When leaders improve their engagement, connections, and behaviors, they positively influence their employees.
Do you practice these principles and behaviors in your own leadership role? Sometimes it can be hard to accurately assess ourselves. That’s why I created an effective assessment to help you determine if you’re showing up as the intentional, heart-centered leader you want to be.
Take the assessment today to find out what kind of leader you are!