by Astrid Davies | 5 Apr 2024 | Diversity of Thought, Leadership Matters, Sustainability
Leadership is a massive topic, but I would argue there’s a crucial trait that sets apart the truly remarkable leaders from the merely adequate ones: values-based leadership. It’s not just about making decisions; it’s about making the right decisions, grounded in ethics and principles that serve not just the leader, but the entire community or organisation they lead.
What exactly makes a values-based leader?
First and foremost, the values-based leader is guided by a strong moral compass. This compass isn’t just a tool for navigating tough situations; it’s a fundamental part of who they are. Values-based leaders understand the importance of integrity, honesty, and fairness in all their actions. They don’t just pay lip service to their core values; they live them every day, setting an example for others to follow but also purely for themselves as how they do what they do.
Ethics and values are at the core of everything they do. These leaders recognise that their decisions have consequences, not just for themselves, but for everyone around them. That’s why they take the time to consider the ethical implications of their actions, weighing the potential risks and benefits before making a choice.
But it’s not just about doing the right thing when it’s easy; it’s about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. Values-based leaders are prepared to stand up for what they believe in, even if it means going against the grain or facing criticism. They understand that true leadership requires courage and conviction. This can lead them to put themselves on the line, if that is what it takes to do what’s right.
This approach emphasises the importance of aligning leadership practices with core values, ethics and principles. Instead of simply focusing on achieving goals or maximising profits, values-based leadership prioritises the well-being of people and the planet. Specifically, it focuses on IMPACT.
The importance of impact
Values-driven behaviour isn’t just a box to check off; it’s a way of life for these leaders. They understand that their actions speak louder than words. Some may work hard to lead by conspicuous example. On the other hand, other leaders choose to follow their values discreetly, keeping their own performance ethically-aligned and staying in their lane. As with so much in leadership, there is a broad spectrum. Whether it’s treating employees with respect, being transparent with stakeholders, or making environmentally responsible choices, leaders driven by their values consistently demonstrate their commitment to doing the right thing.
The important thing here is not what the leaders do, so much as the difference it makes. It would not be terribly ethical for a leader to make a massive show of “doing the right thing” only for this to benefit no-one but themselves! A values-based leader will focus on answering the “So What?” question. Not only that, they will focus on answering that with actions and results which benefit the maximum number of people. That number could be a team, an organisation or an entire community. The point is that the benefit is based in consultative activity. This means the leaders make sure to involve stakeholders in the decision-making, and also in defining what success would be. Here again, it is important that the leader does not make decisions on behalf of people. It is not ethical to project personal opinions, motivations or moral standards onto others. That is not leadership either.
Values-based leadership write large
Furthermore, values-based leadership isn’t just about individual behaviour. As well as their personal performance, leading through their values also means they create a culture of ethics within and around an organisation. Ethical leaders understand the importance of fostering an environment where honesty, integrity, and accountability are valued and rewarded. They empower their employees to speak up about any concerns and provide the support and resources needed to address them effectively. Essentially, we are talking about a culture of trust.
We can see that values-based leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have in today’s complex and interconnected world. Leading according to an ethical framework shows that leadership isn’t about power or authority. Rather, it is about responsibility and service. By staying true to their values and leading with integrity, these leaders have the power to inspire positive change and make a lasting impact on the world around them.
In today’s world, ethical and values-based leadership is in short supply. Let’s all agree to do better and be better in our leadership, so we can build back the bonds of trust being shattered every day by unethical leaders all over the place. Our future could well depend on it.
by Astrid Davies | 25 Mar 2024 | Diversity of Thought, Leadership Matters, Sustainability
Ethical leadership is not something that, at first appearance, features much in today’s world. Whether that be failing CEOs’ bonuses, or dubious PPE contracts, there is not much that shouts “morals” in our news feeds. However, that’s not the whole picture; it’s just the noisiest. Public hunger for a cleaned-up leadership act in public life is starting to spill over into the business environment. In that context, ethical leadership isn’t just a moral compass; it’s a strategic advantage.
With increasing dissatisfaction over unethical behaviour, consumers are recognising the importance of ethics and values in their purchasing decision-making. That means, in turn, that business leaders are starting to recognise the role of ethics and values in driving profitability and differentiation in the market. Let’s explore how prioritising ethical leadership can positively impact a company’s bottom line and set it apart from the competition.
Ethical leadership has the potential to play a crucial role in enhancing a company’s reputation and attracting customers who align with its values. Consumers today are more socially conscious and ethically minded, preferring to support businesses that prioritise ethical behaviour. And, we have to note here, that is genuine ethical behaviour. There is the issue of “-washing” (e.g. “greenwashing” using climate-aware values as cynical camouflage for the same old exploitative practices dressed up with minimal value-aligned gestures). This has resulted in the global boycotting of certain brands because of the lack of morality. In turn, this shows us that consumers wield a lot of power. On the other hand, by demonstrating a true and transparent commitment to values-based practices, companies can build trust and loyalty among customers. That will drive sales and growth. [The whole issue of whether traditional economic models in pursuit of growth and consumption is viable, is another issue. I would urge you to review Doughnut Economics for this very different perspective.]
Ethical Leadership in the workplace – talent attraction
Ethical, trustworthy behaviour fosters a positive organisational culture too. Cultures like this attract and retain top talent; few employers of choice are unprincipled and exploitative these days. Ethical leaders create environments of trust, transparency, and accountability, leading to higher employee engagement and productivity. Reduced turnover costs further contribute to the company’s bottom line. In this way, ethical leadership is not only morally sound but also financially prudent.
As the next generation of leaders emerges, there’s a growing demand for more ethical and values-based leadership. Employees want to work for companies that align with their values and principles, more than ever before. Millennials and Gen Z leaders are rejecting the profit-driven mindset of previous generations. This means seeking to operate in a way that aligns with their personal values. Businesses that embrace this shift and prioritise ethical leadership will attract top talent and position themselves for long-term success in a changing world.
Ethical Leadership in the workplace – talent retention
In another blog, I have addressed the issue of people leaving bad managers. Ensuring that your company operates according to a clear ethical framework, centring around ethical leadership principles, is a great way to prevent this. A clear leadership behavioural framework sets parameters which make it straightforward to comply, for any manager wanting to do the right thing the right way. Introducing these frameworks is a joyful part of my work. It is incredibly rewarding, to introduce a values-based management approach and see the difference it makes to how people enjoy their own work too.
Furthermore, ethical leadership drives innovation and creativity within organisations. Leaders who operate from an ethical stance are more open to diverse perspectives and innovative solutions. Such solutions will be more inclusive of the diverse talent within an organisation. It is also probable that the solutions will benefit a wider section of the marketplace too. This innovative mindset can lead to the development of new products or services. In turn, this can open up new market opportunities and even offer the company a competitive edge. This competitive edge can also apply to the recruitment market. The best people will want to work for the best companies. They are likely to define “best” as good terms and conditions, for sure, but also leaders who walk the talk and behave in a manner which is appropriate, fair and principled. “Best” will also cover inclusive workplaces, where decision-making is informed by a wide range of viewpoints and where difference is encouraged and welcomed.
Stand out from the crowd
In any competitive marketplace, ethical leadership will serve as a powerful differentiator. Sadly, it is still all too rare for it to be a genuine factor. However, it is becoming clear that companies that prioritise ethics and values do stand out from the crowd, for all the right reasons. By building stronger relationships with customers and stakeholders, such businesses build brand loyalty, turning customers into advocates for their products and even for the change in the world that their ethical stance supports. Companies such as Patagonia exemplify this approach. Consumers are increasingly choosing to support businesses that share their ethical principles. And, increasingly, those ethical principles include pricing. Making ethical buying choices are less and less the preserve of the affluent, as values-based business also includes accessibility.
In conclusion, ethical leadership isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also a wise business strategy. By prioritising ethics and values, companies have the opportunity to steal a march on their less-principled competition. They enhance their reputation, attract customers and talent, differentiate themselves in the market, and ultimately drive profitability. The business world is waking up to the public attitude for a more moral marketplace. Those who adapt first, by embracing ethical leadership, will be those who thrive in tomorrow’s market.
by Astrid Davies | 11 Mar 2024 | Leadership Matters
“People leave managers”. It’s an old saying but it’s largely true. A bad manager can be the difference between enjoying work life and it being intolerable. In this article, we explore the transformative power of learning from bad managers. It really can be the way to build and grow as a successful, popular and effective manager.
Managers are almost always a significant influence over our working life. They can be mentors, guiding lights or, often, stumbling blocks in our journeys toward success. Yet, even from the less-than-ideal managers, we can glean valuable lessons. We can then shape our own management approach using those lessons. For instance, we may learn about the importance of knowing your core values and then sticking to them. Or, alternatively, we may learn the dangers of ignoring your own core values to try to fit into a corporate culture where you will never be happy as a result. We may even learn how to treat a team, because of the poor way in which we have been treated.
A client recently confided in me that much of his leadership journey to date had been informed by seeing managers behaving badly in his early career, and deciding he wanted to do the opposite! That has had a potent impact on this particular client. Specifically, it has given him clear ethical standards, a warm and trustworthy communication style and, increasingly, an ability to introduce boundaries for his team and himself, which protect their time and wellbeing and still get results. And they love him for it.
A model which can explains this
There is a handy leadership training model which can explain this in five easy stages. The SCARF model, conceptualised by David Rock, offers a framework to understand the social dimensions that influence human behaviour in organisational settings. SCARF stands for:
Status
Certainty
Autonomy
Relatedness, and
Fairness.
Each element represents a fundamental driver, representing a motivation to move away from a perceived threat (negative), or towards a perceived reward (positive).
SCARF and bad managers
Given we are positioning this article in the negative motivation space, let’s work up an example of a bad manager. Imagine a tyrannical manager who disregards feedback and micromanages every aspect of their team’s work. Such behaviour undermines Status, leaving team members feeling undervalued and disempowered. Certainty dies too, because unpredictability becomes the norm. That is likely to lead to increased anxiety and discomfort across their team (and probably elsewhere). That in turn leads to decreased performance. Autonomy is stifled, which in turn stifles creativity and puts a halt to innovation in any meaningful sense. Relatedness suffers because the operating environment is fraught with control and fear, damaging trust. This lack of trust, in turn, may result in biases coming into play. Favouritism or arbitrary decision-making may be tools in the bad managers’ armoury. This, of course, will compromise any perception of Fairness. Our old “friend” affinity bias kicks in, where cliques form and some workers are “in” with the boss, while others are seen as somehow lesser. All in all, not a great working environment.
Conversely, let’s imagine a leader who embodies the opposite traits. This leader recognises the impact of their actions on Status, fostering a culture where every contribution is acknowledged and valued. Certainty is provided through clear communication and transparent decision-making processes. Autonomy is encouraged, empowering individuals to take ownership of their work and explore innovative solutions. Relatedness thrives as the leader engenders a sense of belonging and camaraderie within the team. None of that affinity bias nonsense. Fairness will be seen to be all around, ensuring equitable treatment and opportunities for all. Again, no cliques or favouritism. Whether taught or inferred, this leadership development will have been incredibly positive, not only for the manager but for their team too.
Learning from Bad Managers
You can see how it could be possible to learn from the bad manager in this way. It doesn’t take a lengthy leadership development programme to instil this learning. It might only take one unpleasant or disillusioning encounter to create a learning opportunity that lasts a lifetime. Most commonly, however, it is a series of repetitive disappointments and irritations that build layers of learning.
Each interaction, each frustration, can be a negative if taken at face value. However, any manager intent on personal development will choose to take negative events as a catalyst for growth and self-discovery. As humans, we learn resilience in the face of adversity, adaptability amidst the chaos. In the leadership development space, this all explains the importance of empathy in leadership.
It pays to be a good leader
Through these experiences, we form and develop our values and aspirations, shaping the kind of leader we aspire to be. It was this that offered my client his inspiration – and his success. In essence, it is possible to learn positives from negative experiences. This can create an empathetic leader. This, in turn, makes for a leader that others turn to and that teams don’t leave. Put bluntly, it pays to be a good leader.
Bad managers are not the ones that shine a light for us to follow. Rather, they cast a shadow that throws what we want and would prefer into stark contrast. That contrast means we have a double choice. Not only can we move away from the challenge – or even threat – of a bad manager and leave them behind, but we can also leave behind their kind of behaviours. This gives us the reward of freedom from a bad manager, and also offers our teams the possibility to work for a manager who behaves better, leads better, is better to be around. Ultimately, it’s an ethical choice.
I am grateful to my client for his honesty and openness, not only in sharing his story with me, but also in embracing the learning. His commitment to that learning is something his teams enjoy. They enjoy it so much they stay. And that’s the proof, really, isn’t it?
by Astrid Davies | 19 Feb 2024 | Leadership Matters
In the first half of this series, we explored some “low hanging fruit” for keeping your workforce. Here, we are looking at investing to keep your top talent.
“Investing” may sound like this is where the cost-effectiveness of our first article ends. That isn’t so. Investing is putting time and money and effort into an activity, so that you reap the rewards richly and for years to come. As a matter of fact, investing in your people will often yield better and more sustainable impact results than throwing cash at a problem.
Executive Coaching: tailored support to help you recognise and retain talent
Let’s start with something that can be done in-house or by accessing external support, at modest cost: Executive coaching. With its personalised approach, this is a strategic tool for retaining top talent. It communicates a clear message: your organisation is invested in the success of your leaders. How does it do this? By providing tailored guidance to key individuals within the organization, executive coaching enables individual leaders to have the opportunity to “press pause” and leave the hurly-burly of the inbox behind for some dedicated headspace.
In today’s hectic business world, time to think is often listed as one of THE things missing from leaders’ lives. This investment not only enhances leadership skills but also instills confidence and a sense of value in employees, making them more likely to stay and contribute to the organisation’s growth. And let’s be clear, this works for the high achievers and your top talent. In addition, it works for everyone else!
There are two ways you can offer executive coaching. You can hire a professional external coaching provider (like us). Always look for trained, qualified, experienced and preferably accredited coaches.
The other alternative is to offer coaching by your workforce, for your workforce. This has the obvious complexity of perceptions, hierarchies and workplace interpersonal skills. It is, however, an excellent way to offer personal development to your workforce in a way that works for the whole organisation. This is not something just for HR because “they’re the people people”. It is important that coaching is offered only by properly-trained staff. Those can be everywhere from the Board to the contact centre, and anywhere in between. It will require investment to have your people trained. However, once trained they will be able to offer you a return on that investment, every single day.
Management Consulting: external support for an holistic approach
This is for the organisation where you suspect you may need more of an overhaul than coaching, mentoring and basic courtesy will achieve. Management consulting involves investment to keep your top talent. External advisers focus on your organisational culture and performance. Internal talent development and how best to do it will no doubt feature as part of their recommendations. When organizations prioritise the growth and development of their employees, they signal a commitment to building a sustainable and thriving workforce. An external pair of eyes can sometimes see what is hiding in plain sight for you. This is particularly so, if you are not giving yourself the headspace to consider all your options.
A canny way to make external consultancy work well for you as an investment, is to identify ambitious and thorough high-performers from your workforce. Then offer them the opportunity to work alongside the consultants. This knowledge transfer can really pay dividends. This is because the individuals will feel valued and are likely to give of their best as a result. This in turn will help their best to improve still further.
And if they feel valued and their work is appreciated, you stand a good chance of keeping them for the longer term. That is good news for your organisation and for your workforce, because they will share their skills and knowledge, building a consultant mindset which will underpin continuous improvement across your organisation. And who doesn’t want that?
Business Management: integrating keeping your top talent into the every day
Sometimes a spin-off from external consultancy is an alteration to your organisation’s business management. This gives you the opportunity to embed talent development in your organisational objectives and cultural structure. Put simply, it helps you embed growing your people while you grow your business. Where there is a culture of feeling valued, supported and empowered, workforce turnover can be much lower. This makes investing to keep your top talent something you can grow from within.
Leadership Training Programmes: investing to keep your top talent
The final section of this article is perhaps where you might have thought we would start. Structured leadership training programmes are a well-trodden path. On the face of it, they appear a proactive way to retain staff by investing in their continuous development. When organizations provide access to high quality and relevant leadership and management courses, they empower employees to acquire new skills and stay current in their roles. These programmes can not only enhance current job performance but also prepare employees for future leadership positions within the organisation.
Please note my caveat: “high quality and relevant leadership and management courses”. The internet is full of generic, “sheep-dip” courses which are cheap, offered for a quick buck to woo the unsuspecting into more lucrative (and just as generic) management courses. These are most definitely not the way to go. Investing in these is not investing in your talent. Instead, it is investing in an expensive sticking plaster, which is never going to stem a haemorrhage (metaphoric or of your staff).
I would always advocate bespoke leadership and management development courses, where you have been very specific in your commissioning brief, and where you and the provider monitor the programme progress constantly. You may even end up tweaking the programme to get the best out of the programme, so you get the best out of your people.
Ultimately, you will get what you pay for, in terms of developing your people. To enable your workforce to mentor one another, they will need training so they keep safe boundaries and are effective. To coach one another will require the same.
However … it will cost nothing to acknowledge your workforce for their effort and commitment. And for this acknowledgement to be genuine and heartfelt. Although that costs nothing, it can mean more than the most expensive consultancy programme ever could.
Investing to keep your top talent is a choice. I would argue it is a wise, prudent and forward-thinking choice, so long as you have the money to invest. Organisations that prioritize the growth of their internal talent pool (in both size and quality) create a workforce that is not only skilled but also deeply committed to the success of the organisation.
And this is key. The talent pool includes EVERYONE. You may have identified your top performers, but by widening the developmental opportunities out to everyone, you build an inclusive culture. This is crucial to deliver psychological safety at work – one of the first stages is for people to feel that they belong and are welcome. Nail that, and you will have a culture that grows and retains talent for you.
As ever, if you would like to discuss any of the issues in this article or its previous half, please feel free to book a conversation with me or to drop me a line. It’s so important to get more corporate cultures valuing and growing talent. Let’s make leadership easier, together.
by Astrid Davies | 1 Feb 2024 | Leadership Matters
In the competitive landscape of today’s business world, retaining top talent is a key challenge. There is increasing volatility in the recruitment market, whether you want to cite The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting or even Gen Z/Alpha. Better then to harness a proven strategy for employee retention. That is investing in leadership development programmes to nurture and grow internal talent.
There is much to discuss. As a result, this article is the first half of a two-part series. In this half, I explore the quick wins that your organisation can put in place, to start the process (or stem the tide). We will explore some compelling reasons why developing your own talent is not only a wise investment but also a powerful tool for retaining staff. And over the two articles, we will explore the various facets of leadership development that contribute to creating a workforce committed to staying with your organisation for the long haul.
Performance Management: Recognition and Retention
Let’s start with the simplest element of any leadership development programme: Performance management. However, although it should be the simplest place to start, in too many organisations this is a massive stumbling block. Too few managers and leaders are competent (let along confident) at giving feedback. Add to this a general reluctance to give people positive feedback, and you have a recipe for haemorrhaging staff.
What is so difficult about saying, “Thank you” and “Well Done for …”? It is basic courtesy. In addition, it is a manager being specific about good performance. Humans of any age will gladly repeat behaviour for which they receive praise. “Reward the good stuff” is a key parenting technique, which is left at the door in far too many workplaces.
There are some perverse notions of “strong” leadership out there, which would have you believe that if you thank your staff and recognise their efforts regularly, you are soft and weak. In fact, I would argue that managers are weak if they do NOT observe basic courtesies and rely instead on some outdated machismo.
So, let’s agree that we can all use this first step toward improved staff retention. Recognise your in-house talent when it performs well, and it will stay in-house longer. When you go further and add in goal-setting, incentivised performance recognition and the opportunity to grow and develop as leaders, you are likely to have a winning retention formula.
Building Loyalty through Mentoring:
Another quick win on in-house leadership development is Mentoring. This can play a pivotal role in fostering loyalty among employees. When organisations invest in structured, formal mentoring programmes, they are demonstrating a commitment to the professional growth of their staff.
Through one-on-one guidance, seasoned professionals can impart valuable insights, share the all-important “corporate memory”, and instill a sense of belonging in their mentees. This personal investment in an employee’s development creates a strong bond, with the mentor and their employing organisation. This, in turn, makes them more likely to stay with the organisation over the long term.
It is important to note here that poorly-organised, casual mentoring by leaders already past their enthusiasm “best before” date is not what we are looking for. Quite the reverse. Mentors need to be inspiring, authoritative and nurturing. That is not always a commonplace in organisations. It is worth developing your in-house mentors to be the best they can be, with mentoring training and supervision. It isn’t costly and it could actually save you huge recruitment agency bills.
Nurturing Leadership Skills: A Recipe for Employee Loyalty
Similarly straightforward is having a formal plan for leadership development throughout your organisation. Make sure it reaches across all departments, silos and sites. At its core, it will focus on cultivating essential leadership skills within the existing workforce.
To be clear, I am saying this is straightforward, but a lot of employers make it complicated. There needs to be a cross-organisational understanding of what you want your leadership development to achieve. It is impossible to be successful without that – how do you know when you’ve got to “good”?
As a simple rule of thumb, providing opportunities for employees to enhance their communication, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities will build a stronger, more resilient and more effective workforce. Essentially, it’s about leading from within an ethical framework. Your more senior employees will be more confident and competent, which will enable them to lead better. Better-led employees are more likely to stay with a company that values their growth, contributing to long-term stability and success. Leadership is all about retaining top talent too.
So, in this first half of the series, we have looked at a few simple (and cost-effective) ways to build up your workforce’s appetite to stay with you. In the next article, I will explore some of the ways that investment can really ramp up your options (and potential outcomes).
I hope this article has been useful to you and has triggered some thoughts. Please let me know what you have tried, in your firm (via comments or the get in touch button on my website)
And, as ever, if you want to discuss anything in this or any of my articles, my calendly’s available so please feel free to book a conversation with me. Let’s make leadership easier, together.
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/users/startupstockphotos-690514/
