Whether it’s someone in a position of power or simply a de facto head of a group, good leadership makes an impact on your results. And according to Dale Carnegie’s research, when it comes to leadership, there is certainly room for improvement.

Only 28% of respondents in our recent global study into organizational health said they are very satisfied with their immediate leader. So, let’s look at some examples of leadership skills, ways to develop yourself as a leader, and the importance of leaders in the workplace.

What Makes a Good Leader?

We often use the terms “leader” and “manager” interchangeably, but there are some important distinctions to point out.

A manager is generally appointed to a position of power and responsibility. Managers provide order and consistency, coordinating activities to get tasks done. They are charged with supporting the business’s bottom line. A leader can be anyone, even a person without official authority.  Leaders are more likely to enact change and movement through their influence and set the tone around the work being done.

Warren Bennis, a man who significantly influenced contemporary thinking on leadership and organizational development, wrote in his book On Becoming a Leader: “Managers are people who do things right, and leaders are people who do the right thing.” Often, this has to do with a person’s innate or developed leadership qualities and their leadership approach.

For example, Hubert Joly, former CEO and chair of Best Buy, is a leader of the people. When Best Buy was falling prey to online retailers, Joly was pressured to start downsizing the company. Instead, he went to the front lines, donning the blue shirt and khakis of his employees and with a name badge that read “CEO in Training.” Joly says, “They had all of the answers and our job was easy . . . it was empathetic listening to the front liners and to the customers.” Instead of managing the situation, Joly led from the front with empathy and supported his people first.

Or take Alan Mulally, former CEO of Boeing and Ford, a man who believes that “it is an honor to serve.” On the Dale Carnegie Take Command podcast, Alan discusses how How to Win Friends and Influence People sparked a dedication to lifelong learning and brought out the best in him. There are plenty of renowned leaders in today’s business world who have visited our podcast, and they can teach you how to be a good leader. But no matter who you listen to, you still have to put in the work to gain the skills of a leader.

Steps to Developing Leadership Skills

Before we learn how to be a leader, we must first ask, what are leadership skills? Some good leadership qualities include the ability to communicate effectively and listen when necessary, to drive change through support, not force, and to be honest and transparent in all you do. Here’s what the process might look like when considering how to develop leadership skills.

Self-Assess

Don’t leave it solely up to others to identify your potential areas for growth and development. Use self-assessments to understand your strengths and weaknesses as an individual when developing leadership skills. You can seek out feedback from colleagues, use personality tests, or draw on what you learn through personal development courses. It’s important that you have a clear and honest understanding of who you are because identifying your strengths and weaknesses as an individual will help identify areas for greatest success as a leader.

Set Clear Goals

Establish personal goals and visions that stretch beyond mere corporate advancement. Make sure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). This also means keeping the goal within your control. Instead of thinking “I will get a promotion”—something you don’t have control over—consider thinking “I will do [insert specific actions] over a period of [insert specific time] to demonstrate that I deserve that promotion.” And don’t forget to share your goals with others, as this lends an additional level of accountability.

Seek Mentorship

Mentorship is not a new concept in any industry, and it becomes even more critical to get feedback from experienced persons when you are aiming to be a true leader. Mentors can help you self-evaluate, give actionable steps to improve, and be there when you need guidance. When choosing a mentor, consider who you admire, particularly for their leadership skills, then ask them directly and kindly to be your mentor. There’s also nothing to say you can only have one mentor or that they have to mentor you directly. Consider a combination of mentors who challenge you in different areas.

Embrace Continuous Learning

Leaders never stop learning—about their industry, about other people, and about themselves. Ongoing education for hard and soft skills is critical to advancing in the workplace. Between the availability of books to read, courses to take, or seminars and webinars to listen to, there’s no shortage of opportunity. In many industries, the speed of change is fast, and you won’t be able to rely on solely on what you learned in the past to propel you to success in the future. You must be a continuous learner.

Practice Effective Communication

When it comes to good leadership skills, there’s nothing more important than effective communication. Effective communication means being clear in your ideas and locution, truly listening to feedback (active listening), and continuing the cycle of communication with additional discourse. This may or may not be supported by a company communications strategy.

Lead by Example

If you expect hard work and honesty from those you lead, then you had better provide that first. Always lead with integrity and authenticity. If you say it, do it! If you don’t, this will impact how much trust others put or the organization puts in you. If you’re looking for opportunities to begin aligning your actions and words relating to leadership skills, examples of areas to focus on include empathy, active listening, adaptability to change, innovative thinking, and more.

Encourage Feedback

Although the first step to developing leadership qualities is to self-evaluate, you cannot know you are on the right path without feedback from others. Feedback is crucial for growth because we are often unaware of the impact we make or how we are perceived by others. While you might have thought you were being clear and kind, someone else might have walked away feeling muddled and reprimanded. Ask those you interact with to provide oral, written, or other feedback, allowing them to share their thoughts in a format comfortable to them. Be specific with what you want others to evaluate you on, and remain open to areas you may not have thought of. More than anything, ensure feedback is not met with negative emotions, resistance, or especially repercussions, which can discourage open feedback in the future.

Why Leadership Skills Are Important

Why work on developing leadership skills? Having strong leaders in the workplace (and especially having those leaders be in positions of influence or authority), has many positive repercussions on a business.

First, leadership directly impacts team dynamics. Effective leadership fosters a positive work environment and ensures team cohesion. In a Dale Carnegie research study, only 30% of team members were extremely satisfied with their team leader, a number corresponding to the 30% of participants reporting having exceeded team goals over the past year. It’s clear that those on high-performing teams were directly impacted by the level of leadership present.

Strong team leaders directly drive success in achieving business goals and producing innovation,  which is enhanced by consistency, honesty, emotional intelligence, integrity, good communication, and high levels of trust. Not only will developing these skills help in the traditional sense of improving the workplace, but these skills are also interpersonal skills that comprise a large component of our success in interacting in all facets of life.

Unleash Your Leadership Qualities

Whether you’re stepping into a leadership role for the first time or a worker looking to gain influence in guiding others, it’s critical to organize and prioritize your continuing education in leadership training. Dale Carnegie is here to help. Our professional development courses cover topics from leading with influence to communicating with diplomacy to modeling a respectful workplace. Explore how Dale Carnegie can help you become a great leader. Visit dalecarnegie.com.

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Leadership Styles Aren’t Prescriptions

There’s a chance that your company prefers a certain type of leadership style, for example, an acquaintance recently sat through training at their company around the approach of servant leadership. However, you’ll find that you cannot expect someone to perform successfully without giving thought or consideration to their own strengths, weaknesses, and individual dispositions—this speaks to role “fit” which we will talk about shortly.

This is not to say managers (for example) can’t be taught or ever adapt to new styles of leadership; many who do can be very successful. But it cannot be overlooked that a part of their success likely stems from the fact that the types of leadership styles you’re utilizing already match their individual traits, skills, and personalities in some or many ways.

You may have seen individuals with good intentions try to adopt or mirror the approach of another leader who has been very successful. It’s possible that the approach to the leadership style was the same, but the application was lacking because of the differing traits and innate styles of the individuals.

Fitting Versus Forcing Different Leadership Styles

As we consider the individuality of our leaders, as well as the many different leadership types, matching an individual with a particular leadership style (as prescribed by the company) will need to consider fit (i.e. personality, communication approach, etc.) in conjunction with understanding the hallmarks that identify the prescribed leadership approach. This goes beyond simply prescribing a style that forces potential leaders to operate against their nature. In fact, part of a successful process means that the individual should have a deeper understanding of themselves as, after all, the consideration of role fit is a two-way street. Without this attention from both sides, businesses could be forcing a square peg of leadership into a round hole of skills, traits, and behaviors, leading to discouragement, frustration, and ineffectiveness for all.

In this manner and with input and effort from both sides, organizations that do want to adopt particular leadership styles can avoid training the wrong people for those positions by matching the individual hired or promoted to the leadership types desired. For example, if a company wanted to adopt servant leadership, they might not want to hire legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight—a man known for his volatile outbursts and outspoken nature. However, there’s no debate that Knight was a great leader, coaching over 900 games and winning numerous championships during his career. But if you had asked Knight to switch his style, he would likely not have been successful simply because it goes against his personality.

You Don’t Have to Choose Your Types of Leadership

The good news is that nothing says leaders need to adopt or stick to one leadership style. In fact, the best (and likely more realistic) situation involves a mix of many leadership skills and styles depending on the context. Of the thousands of people interviewed for Dale Carnegie’s research each year surrounding a variety of workplace topics that includes leadership, we cannot recall a response where a participant wished their company would adopt a leadership type. People are dynamic; the work environment is dynamic; your particular approach and combination to achieve success in these conditions will likely be just as varied.

Every type of leadership has its pros and cons, which makes it difficult to assign one “best” style to the needs of any organization. The fact that research into different leadership types remains so prevalent speaks to the fact that no single style holds the answer to effective leadership.

Start with the Individual

While adopting a leadership style within an organization and then searching for the right fit is one approach (somewhat of a hammer looking for a nail), consider starting with the individual first. Consider their existing qualities that have you interested in them for leadership in the first place. Together, identify their strengths, weaknesses, communication style, and other innate leadership skills as you help them cultivate an approach that not only fits them but also ultimately benefits the company. In doing so, you can then seek or provide tailored training to further develop that individual where they need improvement, and with this approach, you will likely find yourself pulling from various leadership styles to provide the greatest opportunity for effectiveness for not only that individual but ultimately your teams and organization as a result.

Whatever approach you choose, be sure that the needs of each leadership role align with the individual style and approach of the leader to create the greatest possible success. If you need help leveling up your workers to the leaders you want them to be, look to Dale Carnegie. Through our targeted training, we provide a chance for leaders to grow and find and develop the styles of leadership that work for them and your company for the greatest chance at success. For more information, visit dalecarnegie.com or search our courses.

The post Understanding Leadership Styles: Which One Aligns With You? appeared first on Dale Carnegie Blog.

Discover key insights on identifying the perfect candidate fit for your organization. Learn what to look for in potential hires on the Dale Carnegie Blog.

The importance of hiring the right candidate cannot be overstated as selecting the ideal candidate for a job can lead to reduced turnover, increased productivity, and increased engagement. While recruiting for technical skills can be vitally important, soft skills are equally critical to success and matching the needs of a role to a candidates interpersonal abilities is as important aspect of the search effort. In addition, there must be consideration as to how each candidate fits within the company’s culture and values.

The benefits and importance of proper candidate selection cannot be overlooked, and the idea of role fit is a two-way street. Here, the organization should not only consider their needs, but also be aware and mindful of the candidates desires as well as the latter has a large impact on goal achievement. In fact, our global Teamwork study revealed that 85% of those on high-performing teams were in a role where they were encouraged to use their individual skills and talents. These results aren’t automatic and it can undoubtedly be difficult to identify how to choose the right candidate for the job, but below we’ve identified key areas of focus to help identify potential candidate fit.

Understanding Candidacy for a Job

Identifying the right for a role within your company starts with defining the role itself. This effort should not only involve management and leadership but should also incorporate feedback and solicit input from any stakeholders who interact with that role. This could be customers, co-workers, vendors, colleagues in other companies, etc. In addition to the this, when experiencing turnover, exit interviews can help determine some of the gaps and further areas of consideration surrounding the role. The point is to solicit input from a variety of sources and don’t simply rely on existing job descriptions or a small group to identify. Considering what the collective believes success in the role looks like and what qualities are essential will help to paint a more complete picture of the role and the needs surrounding it.

These efforts can also help to determine the type of personality desired candidates. Consider the broader team or department and what type of person might fit into the culture you’ve been creating. Combined, these efforts can help identify the goals of the role, skills necessary for success, as well as personality traits that may be helpful. From here, turn what you’ve learned and know of the duties and personality requirements of the role into a formal job description. A proper job description is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of recruiting and hiring. If the job description differs greatly from the reality of the position, then you will be attracting (and potentially hiring) the wrong types of candidates for the role which can be costly over time.

Identifying and Recruiting an Ideal Candidate for a Job

Before engaging with the recruitment process, ensure that you’ve defined the role clearly and outlined the goals of that role succinctly before trying to find the right candidate. Otherwise, you won’t know what you’re looking for as your target hasn’t been well-defined. Often, the right candidate has relevant skills and experiences mixed with essential soft skills such as communication and teamwork, the importance of which cannot be overlooked and identifying these at the beginning of the process is vital.

Furthermore, the ideal job candidate will align with the company’s culture and values. A good culture takes a long time to build and a short time to tear down. Don’t let the wrong hire change your carefully built work environment.

Recruiting the types of candidates you want requires both passive and active participation and engaged candidates are interviewing companies as much as they are being interviewed. Help candidates in their journey as well by ensuring your company’s culture is widely publicized, ensure your values and mission statement are accessible, and provide testimonials from past and present team members. This can help the right candidates self-select when they feel they fit your company and potentially save you valuable time and resources through the interview process.

When actively recruiting, consider that the ideal candidate for a job might come from an apprenticeship or have taken a non-traditional route or pathway. As technology continues to expand learning opportunities, ideal candidates may be better identified by what they have done or accomplished, rather than the degree they hold. Having a clearly identified job description as well as a view of what success in a role looks like can provide confidence in the process and help to identify areas of recruitment that may have not been previously considered, opening up opportunities and a candidate pool others overlook.

Assessing Candidates Effectively

When it comes to how to qualify candidates, yet again, an effective assessment starts with a clear understanding of the role’s goals and needs. Without these clearly defined, there will be no standards against which to measure applicants. As part of this process, it’s critical that businesses create structured and consistent interview processes so all candidates can be considered and compared in the same way.

Be sure to ask behavioral, situational, and technical questions during interviews and evaluations. Behavioral questions are often open-ended and may cover topics such as greatest strengths and weaknesses or stories of growth. Situational questions cover work scenarios that the candidate might run into while in the position. Technical questions would cover any task, product, or program-specific knowledge.

It’s important to listen closely to both the answer and the manner in which it is being answered (i.e., are they communicating with diplomacy and tact?). Watch out for the following red flags:

• The candidate hasn’t researched your company or doesn’t understand what the role entails
• The candidate exhibits poor communication, such as muddled answers, interrupting, or heavy exaggeration
• The candidate blames others for their past failings or mistakes when giving work examples
• The candidate overstates their accomplishments or uses fancy language to bolster a simple task into something impressive
• The candidate does not provide references, the ones provided can’t be reached, or the people are inappropriate as references

Don’t forget to evaluate company culture fit during interviews. This means being attentive to communication styles and asking more personal-related questions. Involve others in the hiring and interviewing process. By including those who will be working closely with this person in the hiring of the role, you can better evaluate a candidate’s fit among your workers.

Finally, use assessments—an important part of the hiring process. Assessments may evaluate the skills or knowledge of prospective candidates. Effective assessment tools are both valid and reliable; you can’t depend on a hastily created assessment. To be reliable, it has to be consistent and stable over time, which can be shown through statistical analysis. A valid assessment means it measures what it is intended to measure.

Internal vs. External Candidates

When it comes to hiring the ideal candidate for a job, you might already have them under your roof. The choice between internal or external candidates for a role is a tricky one. Existing employees already know your company’s processes and offerings and fit into the office culture. If they need professional development such as leadership training to be considered for a role, you already know them as a worker and know their work is worth investing in. At the same time, internal candidates might suffer from institutional thought and not bring needed innovation or creativity necessary for a role.

External candidates are always an option, but they have pros and cons as well. One big benefit is that new hires can bring with them new and creative thoughts and spark change which can help move your company forward. This is important as 39% of leaders in a Dale Carnegie study said that having team members be open to change would help productivity. However, a poor or long onboarding process could negatively color this new employee’s view of the company and some of the potential benefits can be lost. In addition, in contrast to an internal hire, external candidates may take time to adjust and integrate into the company culture.

Choosing the Right New Hire

Hiring the right (or wrong) candidate will have lasting impacts on your business for years to come. Success in hiring starts with clearly and adequately defining and identifying the goals of the role and skills necessary for success. Doing so will allow for better identification of someone’s candidacy for a job.

Whether an outside hire or an existing member of your workforce, the “perfect” candidate may not exist. However, identifying role fit from both the organizational side as well as from that of the candidate can help lead you to the “best” candidate and contribute to short- and long-term success. Courses from Dale Carnegie can help support this journey and build essential soft skills among new hires in a global workplace where effective interpersonal skills are essential. Explore our course listings and find your local branch by visiting dalecarnegie.com

The post Identifying a Candidate Fit: What to Look Out For appeared first on Dale Carnegie Blog.

Leaders work to increase productivity, increase revenue, and hit targets, but how many also focus on the importance of consistency in leadership and how that impacts the workforce within an environment that constantly produces or requires change? In this blog, we look to provide a few tools leaders can use to leverage consistency in a dynamic business environment.

Consistency As a Competitive Edge 

Why consistency, and how can consistency differentiate a business from its competitors to create a competitive edge? In an era where transformation and transition are a natural part of workplace strategy discussions and change management approaches, the importance of consistency in leadership cannot be overstated. Take Google for example. Google is known for its many innovations and a large part of their success is that they have maintained a consistent and structured culture that allows them to thrive.

Google has a strong mission statement and follows the values of “respect the user, respect the opportunity, respect each other.” Everything, no matter how innovative or new, is done by these standards. In their community guidelines, Google makes clear that leadership and managers will model and monitor proper behavior because the only way to be successful is to “own [the values] personally…own them collectively.”

Google also encourages a sense of belonging, creates a culture of recognition, and supports employee growth initiatives. These practices are known to lead to lower turnover, increased satisfaction, increased innovation, and heightened employee engagement.

While this is only one example, when we think about why consistency matters in leadership, particularly in a world of rapid change, consider the positive impacts to organizations as demonstrated by Google when talented individuals experience a positive workplace environment where leaders consistently demonstrate that “you matter” and “you belong.”

Key Consistency Areas to Maintain and Improve 

In the face of change, employees need consistency, and leadership is responsible for providing this in the workplace. But what are some of the key areas to develop and maintain consistency? Let’s look at a few areas where workplace consistency is essential and allows employees to better focus more of their efforts and abilities on organizational or team goals as opposed to using time and resources to navigate ever-changing waters.

• Vision and Mission: Consider the goals and missions of both the team and the organization and how they can remain consistent with one another to provide clear direction and alignment.
• Decision-Making: Taking consistent action and using consistent criteria or processes for making decisions can encourage trust, alignment, and fairness across professional relationships.
• Communication: Perhaps the most important of all, ensure that constructive feedback comes with plenty of praise and positive sentiments as well; after all, 82% of team members who reported having exceeded their goals over the past year highlighted that their leader made them feel confident, valued, and assured.
• Policies and Structure: Constant internal restructuring or endless changing of policies and procedures can diminish employee engagement and affect morale and company culture.

Tools and Techniques for Consistency 

In order to be consistent, leadership needs to have the training, tools, and processes that support these actions and behaviors while simultaneously embracing and navigating change. Here are a few aspects leaders can concentrate on to achieve consistency in a dynamic business environment.

• Smooth Your Onboarding Process: This is a new hire’s first connection to your company, so it’s a valuable opportunity to establish norms for how things are done (even if what they will be doing might change). Starting an employee off on the right foot supports consistency and can lead to high performance and engagement.
• Use Technology and Automation Many tools can help maintain consistency in operations, especially when those tools are used regularly over time. Find the tools that fit your organization and teams, and be sure that all are trained on how to use them correctly. In the age of AI, choose your usage wisely and ingrain it into your company culture.
• Provide Training and Development Consistency does not happen overnight; it is only through relentless pursuit that we can embrace change while staying consistent in targeted areas. Developing consistency in areas that affect key interpersonal interactions often necessitates behavioral changes from staff, and training and development can help to enhance and support workers and their skills. Offering regular training programs can be a good place to start and can also help maintain regularity through continuous learning and feedback.

•  Improve Soft Skills: A recent Dale Carnegie study showed that high-performing teams thrived when team members reflected favorably on their leader’s ability to create consistently positive experiences through enhanced interpersonal skills, ultimately affecting employee performance. Therefore, “it’s critical for leaders to include targeted soft skill enhancement efforts in key performance indicators (KPIs) and return on investment (ROI) discussions. This allows organizations to recognize short-term improvements and demonstrates leadership’s commitment to the employee experience.”

Facing Change with a Positive Attitude

As many companies demonstrate, the importance of consistency in leadership is a critical component and consideration that contributes to how an organization approaches change and innovation as well as overall success. Positive change cannot take place without consistency and alignment in key aspects of leadership and an organization’s core values, its mission, etc. This requires consistent leadership to model the culture you are creating and requires all stakeholders to be on the same page surrounding foundational items, even in the face of change. Whether you need employees to adjust to change or for leaders to lead change effectively, Dale Carnegie has the resources to help.

Establishing consistency is a long game, but once it’s part of your culture, it supports itself as a norm within your organization. Visit Dalecarnegie.com to search all our courses or find your local Dale Carnegie location to learn to lead change through consistency.

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Two Key Issues Surrounding Remote Employee Engagement

When it comes to engaging remote workers, there are two critical factors that must be present: trust and communication. Without these, high-performing teams cannot exist, and remote employees will disengage from work.

First, let’s tackle trust. There must be a high level of trust between the employee and the company when working remotely. Workers have a natural sort of autonomy working remotely, being able to step away from their desks or take breaks while still getting their work done. At the same time, companies need to trust that workers are not abusing this autonomy. Whether the reason for remote work is to reduce overhead or promote a more balanced lifestyle for the employee, key performance indicators (KPIs) such as those focused on production and performance still need to be met. If employers and employees can’t find a balance and level of trust that helps engage remote employees, they may end up with an ineffective and inefficient arrangement that creates frustration on both sides.

The second common issue surrounding remote work is poor or infrequent communication. In a Dale Carnegie global Teamwork study, 84% of the remote workers who were part of teams that exceeded team goals over the past year reported being extremely or very satisfied with the level of team communication present. In contrast, only 14% of remote workers on teams who failed to meet goals were satisfied with the level of communication. If companies want high-performing teams, they will likely have to step up their communications game, such as implementing a communications strategy.

Four Ways to Improve Engagement 

It’s no secret that employee engagement drives positive business results. In 2023, 33% of employees were engaged (a slight drop from the high of 36% in 2020), but Gallup’s findings also state that “Not engaged or actively disengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationally.” When it comes to how to increase employee engagement remotely, consider these critical actions.

Initiate Frequent and Transparent Communication

Dale Carnegie knew that communication is the key to everything in life and business. As such, leaders need to initiate frequent communication (without micromanaging) and be transparent and forthcoming with information that affects each employee and the company. Schedule consistent one-on-one and team meetings to maintain communication and provide updates. Be sure not to make these check-ins all about work, either. Spend some time talking about things outside of work, asking questions, and showing interest to help create connections similar to those we can experience in a face-to-face environment.

During work-specific check-ins, use effective communication tools to ensure everything is communicated clearly. For example, set clear expectations. Ensure employees know their goals, deadlines, and priorities. Open channels of communication for workers to reach leaders and each other. There are many communication tools to engage remote employees. Consider using Teams, Slack, or an email platform to create open lines of communication for quick questions and sharing information.

Create a Strong Virtual Culture 

Engaging remote workers starts with building a digital culture that is inclusive, helpful, and clear for everyone. This means purposefully choosing how and when technology will be used to engage remote employees. Your virtual culture should also promote inclusivity, encouraging and celebrating diverse voices and perspectives.

Some other ideas for remote team engagement include:

• Celebrations: Consider holding celebrations for or at least observing and recognizing diverse holidays and global events.
• Social Events: Organize team-building activities like virtual lunches that are themed or strictly set aside for fun games or activities.
• Camera-On Policy: While it can be convenient in a virtual culture to keep cameras off, a strong virtual culture is supported when participants can see one another.
• All-Company Meetings: This could be a time to provide updates on the company goals or strategy, state the company’s successes and setbacks, and offer information on the status of initiatives.
• Virtual All-Company Retreat: Make it interactive by including employee engagement activities for remote employees. There are many engaging online resources and tools available to create active participation and connections to one another and the company.

Build Trust and Autonomy

The best way to empower employees is to give them the freedom to make decisions and manage their work. Trust their expertise. Allow employees to take ownership of their tasks and projects.  This then includes celebrating their successes. Recognize accomplishments publicly and offer praise for achievements. Draw attention to the unique ways the employee used their skills and talents to get the work done. This is how you show and live a culture of trust and autonomy.

Creating a trust-centric workplace also means fostering a sense of belonging among employees. Involve employees in important all-company meetings or cross-functional meetings, particularly when discussing strategy. Open and honest communication supported by humble leadership can do wonders in engaging workers and fostering a culture of trust.

Collect Feedback and Continuously Improve

Engagement is not a one-and-done achievement; it is a daily goal every company should be pursuing. This is why collecting feedback and making adjustments to your engagement tactics is key. Gather employee feedback regularly to identify areas for improvement. You can do this via annual or quarterly employee surveys or brief touch-point surveys. Make sure you act on the feedback, using it to make necessary changes and improvements. This is sure to enhance team member satisfaction.

Engage Employees through Continued Learning

Remote employee engagement is a large topic, and there are many tools and strategies available to raise engagement scores among employees. Engagement starts with a foundation of effective communication. Consider on-demand courses for your leaders and employees, such as the Communication Skills Video Collection, designed to encompass many of the topics and skills employees need to succeed in this remote environment. To learn more, browse available resources or find your local Dale Carnegie partner at dalecarnegie.com.

Learn more about Dale Carnegie Books & Dale Carnegie’s worldwide bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

To learn more, browse available resources or find your local Dale Carnegie partner at dalecarnegie.com and review our courses here!

We thank Myron A. Harmon, Vice President of Human Resources at Dale Carnegie and Ass., for his valuable contributions to this blog article. His insights and feedback were incredibly valuable, making the article more informative and engaging for our readers.

The post How to Build Engagement with Remote Employees appeared first on Dale Carnegie Blog.

Thus, preventing employee burnout before it happens is in the best interest of the organization as they benefit from the collective input of engaged individuals who help foster high performance across the company.

Impact of Employee Burnout on Organizations and Individuals 

It may sound trivial at first to worry about  one worker’s lack of engagement and exhaustion, or perhaps even a handful of workers. But even a few instances of burnout can have significant impacts on a business, and it’s likely that if a few employees are burnt out, the rest might not be far behind. In fact, a recent study from Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) “found that 44% of 1,405 surveyed U.S. employees feel burned out at work, 45% feel ‘emotionally drained’ from their work, and 51% feel ‘used up’ at the end of the workday.”

When it comes to employee burnout, solutions are often less expensive than dealing with the fallout, which can manifest in many ways. Employees experiencing burnout exhibit higher rates of absenteeism, leading to missed or inefficient work, which ultimately costs the company time and money. Not only that, but physical and mental exhaustion could lead to costly mistakes or even result in accidents and physical injuries.

When it comes to attrition considerations, the costs of turnover are much higher than retaining current employees. According to data from SHRM in 2022, average recruitment costs alone for

each individual hire was about $4,700. When you factor in “soft” costs, such as lost productivity and the time requirement from leaders and managers involved in the hiring process, the cost of turnover increases significantly and can well exceed the position’s salary itself. Why is this important?

Workers who are burned out are three times more likely (45%) to be actively job searching than their counterparts (16%) not experiencing burnout

Another important “cost” comes in the form of lost creativity and productivity. When workers are burnt out, it’s more difficult to maintain motivation and employees experiencing burnout may not only be less likely to engage in problem-solving and idea generation, but may also consciously hold onto ideas, saving them for a future role or company.

All in all, the effects of burnout can be costly to companies and workers.

Some of the Causes of Employee Burnout 

In order to address burnout, we need to understand its root causes. There are many reasons a person might be burnt out, including a poor work-life balance. Dale Carnegie’s recent global research revealed that 30% of employees feel they can never fully disconnect from work and only 24% are very satisfied with their current work-life balance. Reasons can be that they’re expected to work long hours or overtime and be available on weekends and during vacations. We also cannot ignore the increased usage of technology in organizations and how this can impact a feeling or expectation that workers must always be available.

Not only are employees battling long hours, but their workloads have only seemed to increase as they experience limited or diminishing resources for help. Many businesses are going lean, which one writer defines as operating “with the goals of maximizing profit, productivity and consumer value while minimizing expenses, overhead costs and negative effects on quality.” While this certainly sounds like a good business strategy, we want to be sure to consider the implications on the workforce tasked with operating and producing within these environments and what the long-term effects will be to the company.

In addition to a heavy workload, employees can often have little say in how they complete their tasks or when. This lack of autonomy gives them little control over their own work, tying their hands and leaving them frustrated. Ultimately, these employees will feel no sense of ownership over their tasks or the outcomes of their work, further leading to disconnected and disengaged employees.

Another reason employees might disengage and burn out is the lack of employee recognition. Even considering a lack of autonomy, high workload, or poor work-life balance, employees who feel valued for their contributions will be less likely to succumb to burnout.

In short, employee burnout can happen because companies lack proactive burnout prevention strategies. Having a mindset of putting people first and including this area as part of planning strategies can help reduce employee burnout significantly by attacking the root causes.

Four Ways to Help Employees with Burnout

Dealing with employee burnout should start with prevention. Here are four ways you can combat burnout before its negative effects manifest.

1. Promote Work-Life Balance 

Dale Carnegie’s teamwork research found that 73% of those indicating a good work-life balance were part of this connection to outcomes should cause leaders to take note and consider how the needs of the company can be met while simultaneously being conscious of the needs of employees. This is not an either/or consideration; company success is directly impacted by worker perceptions and experiences, in this case surrounding work-life balance.

Encourage your employees to take breaks and vacations—and don’t expect work-related engagement from them while they do! In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 52% of workers with available paid time off said they don’t feel the need to take all their vacation days while 49% worried about falling behind at work if they do. Help employees find a balance between work and home life that doesn’t burn them out and helps reduce stress and worry. Set more realistic timelines and expectations and consider reevaluating what employees are asked to do. Is every task necessary? Does it add value? How can we do this differently to create a win-win situation? Make it clear throughout the company that you value their personal lives and just because you send an email (for example), does not mean they need to check it or respond until work hours.

   2.  Be Attentive to Intrinsic Motivators 

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators can spur employees to action and drive behaviors. It’s easy for companies to focus on extrinsic motivators such as money or other rewards for example, but individuals could also be extrinsically motivated to avoid something, such as being reprimanded. Intrinsic motivators, on the other hand, come from within the individual and can include things such as purpose, enjoyment, satisfaction, fulfillment, or personal growth.

Intrinsic motivation has been shown to have a strong positive relationship with one’s psychological well-being, impacting creativity as well as overall work performance. Since this type of motivation comes from within, leaders and managers can’t rely on observation alone to determine the intrinsic motivators of their employees. Take time to interact with your workforce in a way that shows a sincere professional interest in them as a person, develops a relationship that encourages conversation, and helps to learn more about their goals and what drives them.

    3.  Foster Autonomy and Empowerment 

Give employees a level of decision-making power surrounding their role. While this may sound scary at first, autonomy in work has many benefits, allowing workers to take ownership of their tasks, projects, and outcomes. While many leaders would likely shy away from handing over decision-making responsibility in a number of areas or instances,   research suggests that companies could potentially look at redesigning job roles in a way that can offer employees more autonomy surrounding their tasks. In this way, you can control the level of decision-making surrounding a position that works for both the company and the employee.

Working autonomy into your company culture is only half the battle. Employees must also be empowered which comprises speaking to their intrinsic motivators, creating a trust-centric workplace, and providing the necessary hard and soft skills training that supports success. Connect each employee’s view of their purpose with the broader purpose of the organization. Offer growth pathways to help empower employees to better themselves personally and in their work, and support and empower them to take ownership of their professional journey.

    4.  Provide Recognition and Appreciation

It’s no secret that recognizing employees for their hard work can go a long way in keeping them engaged and happy. That’s why the phrase “give honest, sincere appreciation” is Dale Carnegie’s second principle. Make acknowledging achievements and contributions and celebrating successes (big and small) a part of your company’s culture. In the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, 66% of respondents said it is very important to them to feel respected at work. People who feel appreciated are more connected and involved when their efforts and contributions are recognized.

Take Action

Knowing how to manage employee burnout as an organization is only half the battle. Without action, the best plan on paper is unsuccessful. This is where professional training can help stakeholders within your company decrease burnout. Dale Carnegie himself knew the secrets to releasing stress, which he chronicled in his book How to Stop Worring and Start Living. Today, these principles and techniques are the foundation of our modern courses such as Limiting Stress and Burnout and Workers Are Burned Out: What Bosses Can Do to Respond. These courses address a real need and opportunity for growth within organizations.

To learn more, browse available resources or find your local Dale Carnegie partner at dalecarnegie.com and review our courses here!

We thank Myron A. Harmon, Vice President of Human Resources at Dale Carnegie and Ass., for his valuable contributions to this blog article. His insights and feedback were incredibly valuable, making the article more informative and engaging for our readers.

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The History of AI and Human Resources

Various AI tools are used by HR professionals in areas relating to employment practices and policies, recruiting, selecting candidates for further review, hiring, onboarding, retention, and continuous learning topic selection to name a few. Even at the dawn of the internet, recruitment platforms and job boards began popping up with increasingly advanced algorithms and tech. These early AI technologies were integrated into websites to enhance search capabilities, match candidates with job openings, and automate some aspects of the hiring process.

In the 2010s, machine learning was introduced, and it soon became useful for analyzing large amounts of data to identify patterns related to employee performance, attrition risk, and workforce diversity. One study on the evolution of research surrounding AI in the area of Human Resources shared that in 2010, 75% of articles identified in the study focused on “using AI to support decision-making” as part of HR management efforts.The 2020s have seen even more advancement with the addition of generative AI tools used for things such as screening candidates or answering frequently asked questions.

AI in HR

With this increased capability, there are many examples of AI in HR and many AI tools for human resources currently in existence. Here is a brief list of some of the areas AI contributes to in relation to HR efforts:

• AI can power more efficient recruitment and talent acquisition by helping HR professionals sort through data and resumes to find potential top candidates.
• AI has long been used for employee training, and systems are only getting more sophisticated for how employees learn and upskill on the job.
• AI has the potential to collect and analyze feedback from employees that can be used to increase employee satisfaction and efficacy.
• AI can be used to increase employee retention. This often stems from AI’s other benefits such as higher levels of employee engagement.
• AI can be used as a tool for predicting business outcomes, which benefits HR in providing information on potential attrition or identifying gaps in the workforce’s overall training.

While there are many applications available, in practice, from an HR perspective, AI adoption can create opportunities as well as frustrations depending on the organizational approach to its use and reliance. In a 2023 Dale Carnegie global study, only 35% of HR representatives were extremely satisfied with the use of technology at their organizations.

So, while AI can do many things in support of HR efforts, it’s critical that companies are strategic and selective in adopting AI technologies. Considering that: “Companies that have been successful in adopting AI in various areas of their organizations recognize that they have to prepare their people for it,” the risks are simply too great not to create alignment before adoption.

Limitations of AI in HR

There are many benefits of AI in HR, such as improving processes, increasing accuracy, analyzing complex information, and freeing up time from routine tasks. But there are also downfalls and limitations to AI as well.

For example, consider applicant recruitment and selection. A Human Resource representative with a large, multi-national corporation recently shared with me that as AI systems sift through applications, what they look for can be so specific that they can falsely remove people who are otherwise good candidates for a role. The use of AI for this purpose also relies on the applicant’s ability to create a very specific digital resume with the right keywords.

AI systems used for hiring have also been shown to increase bias against particular demographics, even when the system is supposed to be impartial. A 2023 study shared that, “The decisions made by AI are shaped by the initial data it receives. If the underlying data is unfair, the resulting algorithms can perpetuate bias, incompleteness, or discrimination, creating potential for widespread inequality.”

As a continuation, recruitment and selection are also limited by the fact that algorithms are trained using datasets of established recruitment and selection numbers. While this can save time in the short term, it does not contextually consider the future direction of your company. For example, strategic company goals might include engaging new hires who have skillsets that will help you pioneer new areas of business, and your existing datasets might not be sufficient enough to identify these other top candidates.

Will AI Replace Human Resources?

With the current application of AI tools for Human Resources, it’s critical to ask ourselves: How will AI affect Human Resources in the future? Will AI completely replace HR in our workplaces? The answer is no, however, in the future, companies will need to find the balance between human-led initiatives and those that can be reliably outsourced to AI. To do so, those tasked with utilizing the technology should be included in the decision-making efforts because successfully using AI for Human Resources means starting with the people using it, not the tech itself. Considering that currently, only 26% of individual contributors in the workplace trust leadership to make the right decisions regarding AI implementation, inclusive conversations are imperative.

As a parting thought, consider that while AI can do many things, it very well may be that continued human involvement in the recruitment and selection process becomes a key area of competitive advantage and opportunity for organizations as others lean more heavily on tech.

Time will tell.

Developing HR Skills for the Future

The balance in using AI for Human Resources lies in our understanding of the importance of interpersonal relationships as part of the human experience, both professionally and personally. HR professionals will continue to need soft skills around topics such as tactful communication and effective human relations to help build and guide effective workplace environments. Ultimately, this is also about competitive advantage. Companies that balance a strategic tech approach with the necessary soft skills to support individual success and growth will not only be better situated in the market but will be more resilient and agile in the face of constant change.

Visit Dalecarnegie.com to search all our courses or find your local Dale Carnegie location and level up your HR team today.

Want to learn more about Dale Carnegie? Check out our best-selling books!

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What Good Communication Is Not 

To determine what we need for better communication, we also need to understand what makes for inefficient and ineffective communication. In the context of this writing, communication refers to interactions and discussions for the purpose of business. This isn’t water cooler talk, which has its own critical place at the office for building interpersonal relationships, but communicating business-related information connected to a purpose connected to the organization. 

Inefficient communication is characterized by the following: 

• Continued confusion between the sender and receiver of the information 
• Inappropriate communication times or channels 
• Poorly defined objectives or expectations 
• Ignoring feedback or failing to address concerns 
• Over-reliance on jargon or technical language 
• Lack of follow-up or accountability 
• Inconsistent messaging across different platforms or mediums 
• Communication barriers such as language differences or cultural misunderstandings 
• Failure to establish rapport or trust between communicators 

Every meeting, email, or message needs to inform, persuade, entertain, or otherwise lead the receiver to a desired action whereas miscommunication can lead people to engage in the wrong actions or alternative understandings which can result in negative workplace outcomes. Business communications should therefore be purposeful and strategic, not time-consuming and routine. Considering the importance of communication and its impact on every interaction, a strategic corporate communications strategy is more than red tape. 

How important is it? 

In our recent global study surrounding teamwork, Dale Carnegie found that 44% of team leaders cited clear, effective communication as instrumental in improving team productivity—second only to enhanced problem-solving.  

In addition to this, 82% of team members, having exceeded their goals over the past year, identified clear communication as a factor. If we want to create high-performing teams, then we need to get serious about corporate communications and consider the business communication cycle. 

The Business Communication Cycle 

Proper business communication is a skill that can be learned and is enhanced through continuous practice. But there needs to be a purposeful system in place throughout a business to encourage and support efficient communication and to maximize its impact.  

In communication, there is a sender and receiver as well as various intermediate steps that occur along the way which impact the ultimate level of effectiveness. As such, communicating between a sender and receiver involves more than simply a speaker and recipient interaction. Communication is a cycle of a sender conveying information, someone receiving information, and then verifying that information through feedback and discussion and an effective communication loop; these areas that are discussed further below and supported by Figure “Effective Communication Loop” above. 

Sender

First, the sender has an idea. This may be an idea or other information that needs to be relayed and shared for any number of reasons. When ready, the sender chooses a communication channel (email, phone, face-to-face, online meeting, etc.) they believe best fits the context of the situation and informed by the types of corporate communication methods available, taking into consideration the urgency and complexity of the idea/information and how that other person is most likely to receive the idea well. Finally, the message is ready to transmit clearly and skillfully, keeping in mind the appropriate timing for transmission. 

Receiver

The receiver in this process then receives the information via whatever channel it was transmitted and begins to decode (interpret the message). This is where many communication attempts are considered done or complete and parties go their separate ways with little thought to how aligned they are in the message interpretation and understanding. In other words, to be effective we need to consider the disparate meanings parties may be walking away with. Referring to the communication loop diagram, without the common missing link of feedback and discussion, disparate understandings will occur, and our communication efforts will not be as effective as they could be as the sender and receiver are continuous switching positions in the communication loop without regard for how the other understood the messaging before responding.   

Completing the Loop: A Critical Step

The often missing and crucial piece in the business communication cycle is the hearer (receiver) providing feedback to the sender of the information that focuses on clarity of understanding before continuing. This crucial act focuses not on the reply to the information, but on establishing clarity to ensure a collective understanding of what has just been shared before constructing a response. In this way, there is common ground and establishing clarity will contribute to more effective communication and use of resources. You can do this by asking questions such as “Can you clarify…” or, “What do you mean by…”  and end these with a specific statement or area on which you need further explanation. Even if you don’t think you need clarification, follow up with statements like “If I understand you correctly…” and rephrase the sender’s message back to them in your own words.  

This key piece ensures everyone understands the message as intended and clarifies any gaps as everyone works toward a common understanding—this is what turns ideas into useful and usable information. Once satisfied that a common understanding is present, the loop starts again as the original recipient and sender switch roles for the response, and the cycle continues. It’s critical for corporations to establish and encourage the use of a communication that incorporates a feedback and discussion portion focused solely on clarity as part of its communication. Establishing it as part of an organizational communication plan and being attentive to this step in a proactive manner will eventually help establish it as a norm and part of your communication culture as well as provide a level of confidence created from knowing individuals are on the same page. 

Effective Communication Strategy and Support 

To overcome ineffective communication, we have to understand that meaning is often subjective. In contrast, effective communication requires both the sender and receiver to assign the same symbolic meaning to the information as part of the process. Without alignment, communication meant to provide information around a purpose will only serve to create frustrations and missed targets. Developing a communication strategy is not so much a list of rules as it is a part of your culture and way of working that helps participants find clarity and meaning related to the intent.  

Developing a communication strategy doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen without a concentrated and strategic effort that is enhanced by guidance and support. Professional development opportunities such as the Dale Carnegie Course teach participants interpersonal and communication skills that can help foster rich communication practices within organizations and provide the valuable tools necessary so that you and your teams can operate with clarity and confidence. For opportunities to learn more, browse available resources, or find your local Dale Carnegie partner, visit dalecarnegie.com. 

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What Constitutes Effective Communication?

When we speak to each other, we need to make sure we are getting the right message across in the right way. This necessitates defining what makes for good workplace communication skills if we are to build and utilize them for ourselves. Good communication involves more than your word choice and tone.

First, the messaging must be clear and concise. In technical fields, there is the concept of “rubber duck debugging,” which is the theory that if you can’t explain a piece of computer coding simply to a rubber duck, then it likely won’t work or be needed in the program. If you can’t explain yourself clearly and without extra verbal fluff, then work on your concept or the wording of your idea before you approach the team or manager.

Active listening is another aspect of good workplace communication. Avoid forming an opinion or preparing your words while the other person is still speaking. Give them your undivided attention and practice saying, “Let me think on that for a moment,” then pausing in silence while you determine your next words. Other aspects of active listening involve paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, nodding, and making eye contact, all to demonstrate understanding.

According to Albert Mehrabian’s research, body language and nonverbal cues account for 55% of communication. He says that 38% of communication stems from paralinguistics (tone and other vocal cues), and only 7% of meaning comes from the words themselves. Managing our bodies and facial expressions during a conversation can add to the effectiveness and clarity of our messaging.

Then there’s the format in which we provide feedback, thoughts, or solutions. Dale Carnegie recommends in his principles to “Begin in a friendly way,” “Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly,” and “Use encouragement, making the fault seem easy to correct.” These are the principles strong leaders apply in their feedback approach.

We’re also in the digital age, which means communication may be happening face to face, via written channels, or virtually with messaging, audio, or video. Each platform has benefits and drawbacks. Leaders will need to combine the team’s unique needs with the policies and procedures of the company to find a happy middle that makes for the highest-performing team possible.

But the questions still remain: Why are communication skills important in the workplace? What does effective communication actually result in? And what avenues are available for learning effective workplace communication skills?

What Is Communication’s Impact on Success?

The benefits of effective communication in the workplace are many.

The earliest sign of good communication is enhanced productivity and efficiency. Project turnaround times and work accuracy can be shortened and sharpened when there are well-defined instructions and any feedback is communicated clearly.

Ideally, this leads to improved conflict resolution and problem-solving. Teams that are able to communicate ideas, viewpoints, and feelings to each other are more equipped to deal with arguments if they arise. This leads to more creativity (due to psychological safety) and higher-performing teams.

High-performing teams exhibit strong team dynamics, with each member understanding their teammates’ backgrounds and influences. This enhances communication even more and can result in better and faster work with assigned projects.

Overall, good communication leads to increased employee engagement, satisfaction, and morale. Engaged employees stick around, leading to lower turnover. Open communication within a company also leads to increased trust and renewed belief in the company’s and team’s vision.

Implementing Good Communication at Work

So, how do we do this? How do we set the wheels in motion to increase workplace communication skills for our teams?

• Foster a culture of open communication: Encourage feedback and suggestions, create platforms and procedures for discussion and idea-sharing, and be sure to cultivate internal psychological safety for all employees.
• Provide communication training and resources: Offer courses and workshops on topics such as active listening or communicating with tact and diplomacy, and give employees access to the communication tools and technology they need.
• Lead by example: Managers and leaders need to demonstrate the behaviors and communication they want to see from others, which requires creating opportunities for check-ins and updates and being transparent and respectful in communications.
• Establish clear communication protocols: Being clear about how to communicate is the first step to fostering better communication among others; be sure to set expectations for how much communication is needed and how quickly, and set boundaries for when communication is inappropriate (e.g., outside work hours).

Build Effective Communication Today

Effective communication leads to better interpersonal relationships and allows you better to lead with influence. In my new book, Lead With Influence: A Proven Process To Lead Without Authority,

I set out strategies and principles that will help you better communicate with others in ways that build trust and help form better connections. Establishing a culture of effective communication can enhance your business in many ways. Get started on your journey with training from Dale Carnegie.

Check out the Lead with Influence online course!

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According to Patrick Lencioni in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, there are two basic types of trust: predictive-based trust and vulnerability-based trust. Predictive trust is based on the fact that someone has been reliable and competent in the past. Vulnerability trust is based on whether the person makes you feel psychologically safe, meaning you can open up to them without fear of repercussions. Both types of trust are necessary, but vulnerability-based trust will get you further as you level up your teams.

Companies should work on building a culture of trust, which has many benefits at work.

The Benefits of Trust in the Workplace

From trusting your employees to make decisions (aka. worker autonomy) to building trust within teams, trust forms relationships that lead to success. Creating a high-trust culture can result in…

• Enhanced Collaboration and Teamwork –Trust creates a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas or collaborating with colleagues and managers, leading them to become a high-performing team. When trust is present, people are more likely to contribute their unique talents and ideas, which can help overcome challenges in novel ways.
• Increased Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction – Engaged employees report more happiness at work, have fewer absences, and tend to stick around. This is because, in a trust-based environment, employees feel valued and respected. This trust encourages employees to take ownership of their contributions, trusting that they won’t be admonished or punished if things don’t work out as expected.
• Improved Communication and Decision-Making – Dale Carnegie’s research has revealed that 80% of people on high-performing teams reported receiving open and honest communication from leaders. Only 61% of employees on other teams could say the same. Better communication results in faster and better decision-making because employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and are motivated to cooperate based on respect and trust in one another.
•  Greater Innovation and Creativity – A high-trust culture encourages risk-taking and creativity, which together lead to innovation. If employees feel safe around each other and management, they will be more likely to speak up with ideas that may be outside the box. For example, Amazon Prime came to be when employee Charlie Ward placed his idea into an employee suggestion box. Without trust that his idea wouldn’t be laughed at, Amazon might never have become the retail giant it is today.
• Strengthened Organizational Resilience and Adaptability – Resistance to change is common in the workplace. But when employees trust leadership and each other, they are more likely to embrace change and tackle new challenges head on, increasing the adaptability and resilience of organizations.

These are great benefits, but the question remains: how do leaders build trust with employees?

Building a Culture of Trust

Creating trust in the workplace takes effort, no doubt. But you can bring trust to your organization with attention to the following aspects.

Leaders must be transparent in their communication and accountable for their actions. Sharing information about the organization’s goals, challenges, and current status makes employees feel respected and valued, a true part of decision-making. Open communication is just as if not more important when things go poorly. Managers who learn to lead with humility will foster psychological safety and produce high-performing teams.

Leaders must prioritize empathy and respect in all interactions. From communicating with tact to exhibiting emotional intelligence, good leaders know that being respectful gets you further than issuing demands. Even Dale Carnegie recognized this with his principles such as “Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires” and “Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.”

Leaders must create opportunities for open dialogue and feedback. There is an unfortunate perception gap between what employees experience and what leaders think they experience. Managers must gather feedback about their management and decision-making and act on it to ensure employees are heard.

Leaders must promote a sense of belonging and inclusion. This should be woven into the fabric of your company, aligning actions with organizational values and ethics. Fostering psychological safety is a foundation for building trust, credibility, and respect.

The importance of trust in leadership cannot be overstated. But trust cannot be forced; it must be earned.

Trust Leads to Influence

It’s no secret that trust is a catalyst for leadership effectiveness. Trust-based leadership empowers employees and drives change and innovation by creating and leveraging high-performing teams. Developing trust in the workplace can result in a great ability to lead with influence.

Leading with influence requires building interpersonal relationships—relationships based on trust. Leading with influence requires empathy—empathy requires trust to build psychological safety. When you lead with influence, you employ methods such as asking questions over giving direct answers—which requires trusting in employees.

Cultivating Trust for Lasting Success

If you want to build high-performing teams based on trustful relationships, then effective leadership is a must. In my new book, Lead With Influence: A Proven Process To Lead Without Authority .I give you the roadmap for influencing others through kindness, empathy, accountability, humility—and yes, trust.

Trust is not found, it is built. Build your skills with courses from Dale Carnegie.

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