In today’s business world, leadership is more important than ever. A strong leader can create a positive and productive culture that inspires employees to do their best work. In this week’s episode of The WealthBuilders Podcast, “Leading Well in Your Business,” Karen Conrad Metcalfe welcomes her husband, David Metcalfe, to the show to discuss the eight roles of a leader. 

David shares his insights on how to be a safe and supportive leader and how to create an environment where employees feel valued and respected. He also talks about the importance of communication, transparency, and accountability.

This episode is a must-listen for any business leader who wants to create a more successful and thriving organization. Click here to listen to this week’s episode, or you can continue to read the shownotes below.

SHOWNOTES:

There are eight roles great leaders have in common. They:

1. Build a Safe Culture Where People Motivate Themselves
2. Create a Safe Environment for People to Thrive In 
3. Reduce Social Anxiety 
4. Define the Culture of Your Organization
5. Maintain Consistent Quality and Inclusion Across the Field with People
6. Demonstrate Participation with and Concern for Employees
7. The Responsible Leader Has the Pieces in Place
8. Measure and Address Culture

1. Build a Safe Culture Where People Motivate Themselves

• The number one job of a leader is to build a safe culture where people motivate themselves.
• When people feel safe, they feel like they belong and they can contribute.
• A safe culture helps people feel like they can take risks and perform at their best.
• The CEO of Southwest Airlines said that he always hires people for attitude and trains them for aptitude.
• He wants people to come with their own “battery pack” and be motivated to do their best.
• A safe culture helps people bring out the best in themselves.
  

  2. Create a Safe Environment for People to Thrive In 

• The second thing a leader needs to do is be a safe person to work with.
• This means creating an environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes.
• One way to do this is to let employees know that you have their back and will support them if things don’t work out.
• This will help employees feel more confident and willing to take risks.
• As a result, they will be more likely to thrive in their work.

3. Reduce Social Anxiety 

• Clearly define the expectations of the organization and each employee’s role.
• Provide onboarding and training to help employees understand their job duties.
• Conduct regular performance reviews to provide feedback and guidance.
• Create a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel safe to ask questions and make mistakes.

4. Define the Culture of Your Organization

• Explicitly state the values of your organization, such as honesty, integrity, and respect.
• Establish norms for behavior, such as being kind, listening to others, and resolving conflict respectfully.
• Regularly communicate your organization’s values and norms to employees.
• Hold employees accountable for upholding the organization’s values and norms.

• Be a role model for the culture you want to create.

5. Maintain Consistent Quality and Inclusion Across the Field with People

• Treat everyone with respect, kindness, and love.
• Value everyone’s contribution to the organization.
• Be consistent in your treatment of everyone.
• Spend time personally developing and coaching employees.

6. Demonstrate Participation with and Concern for Employees

• Spend time with all of your employees, not just the 20% who are producing 80% of the results.
• Build cohesion with your high performers so that they can help you lead the other 80% of your employees.
• Be aware of different people’s learning styles and coach them accordingly.
• Provide your employees with the tools and resources they need to get their job done.

7. The Responsible Leader Has the Pieces in Place

• Be a visionary leader who can see the future and plan accordingly.
• Create quality internal systems that make it easier for your employees to be successful.
• Provide your employees with the tools and resources they need to get their job done.

8. Measure and Address Culture

• Leaders need to measure culture in order to ensure that it is aligned with the organization’s goals.
• A good way to measure culture is to observe how people interact with each other.
• Another way to measure culture is to conduct employee surveys.
• Leaders need to be constantly aware of the culture of their organization and take steps to address any problems.
• Do people feel appreciated?
• Engagement surveys can be a valuable tool for measuring culture.
• These surveys typically ask employees about their satisfaction with their job, their manager, and the organization as a whole.
• The results of engagement surveys can be used to identify areas for improvement.

Three levels of employee engagement:

• There are three levels of employee engagement: fully engaged, non-engaged, and actively disengaged.
• Fully engaged employees are those who are committed to their work and feel that they are making a difference.
• Non-engaged employees are those who are not fully committed to their work, but they are not actively disengaged.
• Actively disengaged employees are those who are unhappy with their work and are actively trying to sabotage the organization.

Humility is important in leadership

• Ephesians 4:1-3 reminds us to walk in humility and peace
• Leaders should work to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
• A peaceful atmosphere is beneficial for everyone in the organization.
• As leaders, we should foster peace in our organizations and reflect the kindness, goodness, and creativity of God.

You can dive even deeper into biblical business leadership principles at our WealthBuilders Conference 2024 next February. We will hear from expert coaches like Dave and Karen who will help us learn what it takes to thrive in leadership. If you do not have your ticket yet, click here to learn more and register.