Presidents’ Day is a time for people to reflect on some of our past leaders, the hardships and struggles they endured during their presidency and how they learned from and overcame immense trials and tribulations in order to move our country forward as a whole.  Company and office structure are not that much different, with a group of leaders helping their team reach common goals in order to achieve success for a much bigger corporate vision or corporate goal. Similar to the role of a president, effective leaders are much more than a title and are often comprised with key qualities and practices that contribute to the overall experience employees have within an organization.

In celebration of Presidents’ Day, it is important for corporate America to ask themselves, what can we learn from some of the most influential governmental and business leaders of all time? And although different leadership styles can be used at different times, to build and run an effective business, these character traits and qualities seem to be universal in all effective leaders.

The Value Placed on the Art of Appreciation

According to Untethered Consulting, statistics show that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite lack of appreciation as their reason for leaving. Effective leaders do a great job of motivating their team and employees by expressing their appreciation for them whether it be by verbally saying “thank you” or incorporating an employee recognition program that also allows for peer-to-peer recognition, service awards, spot recognition and more. Recognizing success boosts morale and strengthens employees’ motivation to continue giving their best.

It’s important to keep in mind the current diversified workforce and how they thrive in the office. According to Forbes, employer approval is the number one prediction of Millennial job satisfaction. With younger generations like Millennials and Gen-Z taking over the majority of today’s workforce, knowing your employees or associates will help leaders deliver the positive reinforcement  and appreciation they are looking to receive. 

Building Relationships as a Mentor

The best kind of leaders are ones that can be referred to as a mentor. According to a study reported by Business News Daily, approximately 76% of survey respondents said they considered having a mentor important, however 44% have never had one at all. Mentorship not only demonstrates positive behavior and practices that other employees can follow but supports their professional growth as well. Building trust is also associated with mentoring, often raising opportunities for employees to ask for advice to alleviate any job-related stress and anxiety. Additionally, it’s important for mentees to see how others have rose through the ranks throughout the years, whether it be by promotions, overcoming hardships and obstacles that have turned into a learning opportunity.

Lead with Communication

Clear and concise communication from a leader can help add to the motivational aspect of a team. Create a culture of an open-door policy and have open lines of communication. Communication also requires a great deal of listening which employees find to be very important. An effective leader fosters an environment where team members feel free to voice their ideas, opinions on existing projects and have those ideas be taken seriously and into consideration. This creates a collaborative and positive work environment which can in turn, strengthen the team overall due to pre-existing trust and conversations. On a larger scale, communication is also important when it comes to company news and announcements that have been discussed in executive meetings.

Sharing a vision plan top down, allows for all local levels of the organization to work together to achieve a common goal.

Foster Employee Empowerment

Great leaders empower their employees to have a meaningful impact on team and company success. Empowering team members to showcase their talents and abilities helps strengthen the professional in order to unleash the leader inside themselves as well. This is how management training starts. According to a Gallup study, when an organization focuses on individuals’ strengths, employee engagement increases from 9% to 73%! This naturally leads to a boost of confidence from both leadership and employee.

Great Leaders Help Overall Development

There are many ways that leaders can effectively strengthen and empower their employees and team. As Abraham Lincoln said, “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”

Recognizing success and engaging your workforce is the first step to creating positive reinforcement. Showing appreciation by saying thank you or implementing an employee recognition program and strong communication plan, can help keep employees motivated throughout the entire year. Effective leaders bring their team together, fostering an environment of professional growth by means of mentoring, building trust and empowerment.

Rymax possesses the strategies and tools to implement recognition programs into everyday work life to improve office culture and contribute to effective leadership practices. If you are ready to help develop your employees and become an even better leader, contact Rymax today.