If Your Employees Could Vote?

What would happen if your employees voted on your performance as a leader in your organization? How would you fare? Do you really care? If you knew that they would vote you out, would you examine your role and your behaviors? To what standard are you holding yourself accountable?

Here are two facts that would likely predict the outcome of a leadership election in any business:

1. Over 54% of those who are currently employed are actively searching for a new job.

2. Over 80% of all job changes are prompted by a boss related issue.

That translates into 41% of those employed currently have an issue with their boss. That is better than Obama’s approval rating of 45%. Not by much.

I recognize this is not a sophisticated, scientific survey. However, I am quite comfortable that there is enough evidence to support this general assertion — we have a leadership problem. This leadership problem permeates into our businesses, our personal lives, and our government. Worse, this is not a problem that will easily go away until those who lead hold themselves directly accountable for the negative sentiments being directed their way. If you are a leadership problem, discover it, recognize it, accept it, change it or move out of the way.

The lives of the people in your business and the lives of those that depend on them need you to be a leader that motivates, engages, inspires, and educates. Your ability to lead is dependent upon your personal commitment to the mission, vision, values and goals of your business. If you are not a leader who is engaged, accountable, and invested — you are not a leader. In fact, you are part of the problem and you need to step aside or change your behaviors.

One message that resonated with me from yesterday’s elections is that the “people voted for improvement.” Your team, your organization, and your employees are looking for improvement, too. They are looking for guidance, education, clarity, and commitment and they are motivated to be a successful component of your team. Examine your leadership behaviors. Either you would get elected or not. If you are not electable — get busy and get it right!!