People work to live. Work is the place where they spend the majority of their time. And for many, it is an environment which is dysfunctional at best, emotionally debilitating at worst. According to the latest Gallup poll, 70 percent of American workers are either “checked out” or actively disengaged. More than $300 billion, or $7,500 per employee, is spent annually in the United States on stress-related compensation claims. And this doesn’t even consider what it costs companies in terms of absenteeism, turnover, and loss of creativity and productivity.
Is this condition inevitable? Not at all. There are specific steps that can be taken to begin to reclaim some of the enthusiasm, some of the air of celebration and some of the fundamental respect for individual human dignity that is apparent within flourishing business organizations or on championship teams. It is the responsibility of the organization’s leader to promote these steps.
An organization’s leader must provide that elusive quality called leadership. Most people think that leaders are born rather than made. That simply is not true. Leaders demonstrate an ability, which can be learned, to powerfully speak and listen in a way that engenders hope, confidence, and enthusiasm in the people within the organization.
Understanding what makes a good leader and how to become one is vitally important to get the most out of your team. At ISRI’s Annual Convention I’ll be leading a workshop that will dive deeper into these concepts and how you can unleash the power of your employees to drive their productivity.
Scott Hunter is a professional speaker, workshop leader, consultant, and business coach. He is the author of the ground-breaking book, Unshackled Leadership.