When people feel emotionally connected, they put more effort in their work. Research bears
this out. A 2004 Corporate Leadership Council study of 50,000 employees worldwide concluded that emotional factors were four times as important as rational factors when it came to employee effort.
Great leaders connect on an emotional level with the people they are responsible for leading. When employees follow their leader’s example, they become more connected with one another, boosting trust, cooperation and esprit de corps throughout the organization. What I have discovered as a leader and as an advisor to leaders over the years is that the emotional connections leaders develop with people are ultimately grounded in the leader’s own values. The values that foster connection among people come in clusters that I refer to as Truth Values, Beauty Values and Goodness Values.
Truth Values
Throughout A.G. Lafley’s stunning turnaround of Procter and Gamble, he listened to people rather than lecturing them. After taking the helm in 2000, Lafley surveyed employees, held extensive meetings with them, and even met with P&G alumni to hear their views. Lafley didn’t dominate the meetings but instead facilitated a conversation by encouraging people to share their opinions and ideas. One of the reasons that P&G employee morale recovered and its performance improved was that employees felt connected to Lafley when he gave them a voice and implemented many of their ideas. When other leaders emulated Lafley’s approach, P&G employees became a more engaged and, as a result, they put more effort in their work. Furthermore, the increase in conversations and interaction created an internal marketplace of ideas that helped decision makers make better-informed decisions and fueled innovation.
When you deconstruct Lafley’s behavior - seeking input, listening to ideas and opinions, considering them and acting on those that seem to be right — it reflects a number of Truth Values that include humility, curiosity, open-mindedness, wisdom and love of learning. These values in a culture help identify truth by bringing out into the open the knowledge of many (i.e. diverse individuals who have differing perspectives, thinking styles, experiences and observations) so that truth can be identified and acted upon.
In contrast to A.G. Lafley is the example of Howell Raines, the former executive editor of The New York Times. As the investigation unfolded into plagiarism and fabrication by Jayson Blair, one of Raines’ young star reporters, numerous press accounts described Raines as a leader who was arrogant and hostile toward those who disagreed with him. These charges reflect a lack of the values that made Lafley so successful. Raines’ leadership style prevented connection in the work environment. As a result, Raines was fired, his tenure having lasted less than two years, the second shortest of an executive editor in the Times’ 152-year history.
See Beauty Values
Michael Lee Stallard is a leading authority on leadership, employee engagement and teams. He is the co-founder, president and CEO of E Pluribus Partners, a consulting firm that specializes in helping leaders create “Connection Cultures” to form strong bonds among the management, employees and customers of an organization.
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