About two years into my tenure as a senior leader at Apple, I was asked to sit on a leadership panel entitled “Leading with Heart.”
I’d never defined my leadership style in quite that way, but the panel title got me thinking about humanity and inclusivity in the workplace, two topics I’m particularly passionate about. In preparing my comments, I was sensitive to the fact that speaking of “heart” in the context of work could be construed as being lenient or soft, or not being accountability-focused -- even though I know that couldn’t be further from the truth.
What I knew then and know now is this: fostering a humanistic, inclusive workplace is proven to improve performance both for the individual and for the entire company. Why? Because these practices allow employees to be their best, most complete selves at the office. After all, that's why they’re hired in the first place -- to bring every bit of their intelligence, passion, optimism and humanity to create a great workplace where business goals are met, and where the company and people flourish.
In advance of the panel, I endeavored to define “Leading with Heart” with these thoughts in mind. My approach was to define the factors that I’ve learned are key to creating a better workplace, one focused on fostering humanity while at the same time achieving business success.
1. Be straight. People deserve to know where they stand. Whenever they’re doing a good job, let them know it in no uncertain terms. If they’re not fully living up to expectations, they should know that, know what they can do to improve, and know this in a timely way. Many leaders don’t acknowledge good work enough either because they don’t have time or because they consider it just “doing the job." Even more leaders are guilty of avoiding the topic of poor performance like the plague, waiting until an annual review or never being clear about it out of fear of confrontation. That behavior does no one any good. Honesty, balanced with compassion, is a winning combination. When people know where they stand, they are being given the opportunity to be the best they can be or to improve themselves. This can only lead to business success.
2. Be fair. Leaders should always use objective reasoning in making decisions such as promotions, raises, or special project assignments and convey that reasoning openly and honestly. Favoritism and impetuousness have no place. While some decisions might not be easy for some people to swallow, when they know why they were made, they know what’s necessary to be chosen next time and they can work to make that happen. Being fair is one of the most potent attributes of great leadership and a catalyst for getting the very best out of folks.
3. Be interested. Care enough to ask questions of people with whom you work or your direct reports. Questions as simple as “How are you?” or “How was your weekend?” go a long way. People want to think that people care about them and a curious leader is a caring one. When appropriate, questions such as “Is there something on your mind?” or “How do you think we’re doing here at the office?” provide permission for people to speak up and might unearth important learning aimed at improving business outcomes.
4. Be fun. Life can be hard, as can work. And most of us aren’t performing brain surgery at our jobs. Yet many leaders think that a serious workplace is necessary to getting serious work done. I couldn’t disagree more. Bringing levity to the office can take the edge off and make the process of work more enjoyable. It’s also likely to improve individual and group performance and enhance overall output.
5. Be empathetic. Empathy is about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and imagining the effect that an action, a situation, or a life event might have on someone based on their circumstances. When you practice empathy, it’s not only about being compassionate. It’s also about better understanding how a person might be more successfully encouraged to work toward the common goal of the group or the organization.
6. Be clear. People crave focused, unambiguous direction. Oftentimes though, we as leaders don’t give adequate attention to determining what we want or what we really mean to convey. This results in confusion or misinterpreted expectations. That then leads to wasted time, longer work hours, suboptimal output, and resentment. There’s nothing human about that. Clarity will yield just the opposite outcome and increase the likelihood of achieving group and company goals.
7. Be yourself. When people know you’re real, they’re going to trust you more. And having a trusting workplace can alleviate a lot of second-guessing of people’s intentions and looking over one’s shoulder. Authenticity in leaders can inspire others to act the same. So when leaders bring their real selves to the office not only do they feel better about being there, but so do their people. That assures a more open and trusting work culture.
8. Be approachable. People don’t perform best out of fear. As a matter of fact, in today’s culture, leading through fear has no place and is counterproductive. An approachable demeanor gives employees the permission to ask questions, admit mistakes and share concerns. That’s the kind of behavior you want to encourage in employees to foster a more constructive and successful workplace.
It’s taken me a multi-decade career to create this list. I’ve learned much of what I’ve shared the hard way -- by making mistakes, making some folks angry, and not always being the leader I should have been. Yet putting into practice the knowledge I’ve gained through some less-than-perfect moments has made me a better leader and provided some of the most fulfilling (and successful) work experiences I’ve ever had.
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