Organizations across all industries are in need of a leadership revolution.
Various workforce surveys consistently substantiate this assertion. For instance, the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer found nearly one-third of employees don't trust their employer. This should concern leaders, for without a culture of trust, "every part of your organization can fall, literally, into disrepair," as Stephen M. R. Covey, co-founder and global practice leader of FranklinCovey's Global Speed of Trust Practice, and Douglas R. Conant, founder and CEO of ConstantLeadership, wrote in the Harvard Business Review.
Trust is a foundational element of successful organizations. It has a direct effect on a company's productivity and financial performance, and can seriously impair employees' engagement.
Low employee engagement is another significant setback for many organizations. Gallup's latest employee engagement poll found only 32 percent of U.S. workers were engaged in their jobs in 2015, and this figure has been relatively static since 2000. The majority of respondents (50.8 percent) said they were "not engaged," while 17.2 percent said they were "actively disengaged." Although numerous factors contribute to disengagement, leadership — specifically in the realm of accountability — is one of them.
The key to a leadership revolution is a mindset that embraces change. Even leaders who are revered by their workforce and have led their organizations to success must believe they have more to learn and grow, and keep an open mind when it comes to management practices.
"A revolutionary leader is someone who is constantly growing, even if they are already doing well," says Mike Harbour, founder and president of Harbour Resources, a leadership consulting, training and talent management firm based in Little Rock, Ark. "They also have high relational capital — they look for ways to add value to other people, not just themselves. They aren't ladder climbers, they're people builders."
Mr. Harbour outlined four core steps for becoming a revolutionary leader.
1. Get real. This first step is about assessing the current state of the organization and accepting reality before creating strategy for the future. Mr. Harbour likens this to an annual physical exam. "Leaders often go into the new year doing the same things over and over, even if they aren't working. This is the definition of insanity," he says. Leaders must accept the prevalence of disengagement and find ways to address it effectively. This is especially pertinent in healthcare, where physician engagement levels can have serious implications for patient outcomes and ultimately, the hospital's bottom line.
One more thing health system leaders must "get real" about? The fact that leaders aren't born, they're made. Leaders with the highest potential have robust development opportunities, grooming, coaching and mentorship. Many hospitals, as part of their efforts to transition to value-based care, have promoted physicians into leadership roles to help lead clinical redesign projects and gain physician buy-in. However, clinicians who are promoted to leadership roles without adequate development and support will likely fail.
"Physicians aren't trained to be leaders, but often times they are put into positions where they're expected to lead," says Ms. Harbour. If a health system wants to see more clinicians stepping into leadership roles, it should be prepared to invest in comprehensive development and ongoing coaching regimes.
2. Get clear. The second step is updating the organization's vision. "Many leaders go forward with the same vision they had five years ago. They aren't changing with the times," says Mr. Harbour. At the same time, most employees probably couldn't state their company's mission statement if they were asked, Mr. Harbour surmises. "They must be clear on that message and talk about it every single day."
The vision should be simple and clearly stated. To really ingrain it into the organizational culture and minds of each employee, leaders must repeat the vision regularly, celebrate it systematically and embrace it personally, according to Mr. Harbour. "Don't just paint it on a wall," he says.
3. Get smart. Once leaders have the reality check and cast a vision, they must create strategies for closing the gaps that exist between the current state and where the organization aims to be. Employing the best talent is essential for this step. Are the right people in the right roles? Do staff and leaders have access to adequate development and training programs?
Sometimes, getting smart means bringing new people into leadership. "Revolutionary leaders never settle for the status quo," says Mr. Harbor. "The CEO always has to push other leaders to win. Even those tenured people can't settle, and if they do, then it may be time to find someone else."
4. Get wound up. The only way to keep a wind-up clock ticking is to wind it up every day. Technology might render this analogy as slightly outdated, but its purpose is clear; the only way leaders can maintain the progress made by their employees is to find a way to "wind up" the drive behind it every day.
"This starts with purpose. Leaders must embrace the vision personally and also embrace the noble calling of leadership," says Mr. Harbour. "They have to review these goals and talk about them every day to keep moving the ball forward.
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