Brigette Hyacinth recently published an article titled Integrity is Everything! We wanted to share the key takeaways of her message (and ensure we gave her all of the credit for it).
Integrity really is everything – the most important factor – in a working relationship between a manager/leader and an employee. As Brigette points out, ‘integrity can take years to build and be destroyed in one moment’. Just about every person in the working world has their own story about losing trust in a boss, and/or knows someone with a similar story.
Seven Behaviors That Make Employees Lose Trust in Their Leaders
In her article, Brigette lists seven deal-breaking behaviors that make employees lose trust in their leaders. These include:
- Taking credit for someone’s work.
- Blaming others and not standing up for your team.
- False promises to get someone to do something.
- Favoritism and being unfair.
- Downplaying employees’ accomplishments to make oneself look better.
- Not appreciating loyalty, hard-work and efforts of others.
- Treating others poorly – not showing respect or empathy, micromanaging employees, not trusting them to do their job.
‘People don’t leave bad jobs. They leave bad bosses. A lot of business leaders don’t even realize how closely they’re being watched by their subordinates. Your ability to influence is not just based on skill or intelligence; it’s based on trust and requires integrity, which is the foundation of real and lasting influence. An employee’s relationship with their manager sets the tone for their level of commitment to the organization’s success. Threats and intimidation only yield temporary results. You can’t keep throwing your employees under the bus and expect them to give their all,’ says Brigette.
Losing Trust in a Leader Will Have Employees Looking Toward the Door
Employees are often willing to make quite a few compromises when it comes to what they will or will not tolerate from a manager or employer. They may settle for a longer commute, relocating for a job, working longer hours, even a cut in pay for the right opportunity. But employees won’t compromise on trust. When trust between an employer and employee is broken, and not properly resolved, those compromises they were willing to make, quickly become deal-breakers.
Employees Don’t Leave Companies, They Leave Managers
Year after year, surveys on employee turnover list untrustworthy (a.k.a. bad) managers as a leading cause of why employees leave an organization. As the saying goes, employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers. But if an employee can’t move away from a problem manager, they will leave the company too.
High employee turnover rates can be a frustrating and costly problem for employers. Pinpointing the problem, addressing it, and putting measures in place to prevent similar problems in the future can be a difficult, time-consuming project for companies. It’s one that often goes ignored until that is no longer possible.
Strong Leaders Can Be Big Difference Makers for Companies
On the other end of the spectrum, employees often list trustworthy (a.k.a. good) managers as a primary reason as to why they stay at a company. Strong leaders are often sincere, enthusiastic, decisive, and competent.
The best leaders are well-spoken, approachable and friendly. They possess strong communication skills and frequently communicate openly and honestly with the employees they manage. They listen carefully, and don’t jump to conclusions. They trust their employees. They empower employees to act autonomously, while continuing to guide and support them. And they give credit to their teams/employees – not taking all the credit themselves. They are comfortable with the knowledge that when their team shines, they shine too!
Most Managers Are Not Groomed to Be Leaders
Most companies try to promote from within, which is great for giving employees the opportunity to grow and advance within the company. But companies often fail these employees by not providing proper training and support.
An employee doesn’t automatically become a great manager just because they were given a manager title. Great managers are groomed. They are given management training and support. They also usually have at least one mentor or role model that they can shape their management style around and lean on for support when needed.
Groom Yourself to Be a Great Leader
No matter what stage of your career you’re in, there is always room for improvement – and it always starts with a plan. Counseling services from Elemental Mental Health can help you formulate a plan and help keep you on track toward reaching your leadership goals. The best leaders don’t go it alone – they start by putting a proper support system in place.
Contact Elemental Mental Health today to learn how counseling can help you take the next step toward becoming the great leader that you are meant to be.