Why good leaders make you feel safe

Leadership is a subject we often dive into, perhaps because it is such a profound and controversial topic, but also because it is so often misunderstood.

Referring back to my previous article on how leadership is changing, it’s important for us to take the time to look deeper into what changes still need to be made, how we can make those changes happen, and perhaps more importantly, why we should adapt.

And it’s not just leadership, business as a whole is changing, including people’s values and beliefs within business, too. That’s why it’s so crucial to stay attune to the emotional needs of your employees and to ask the question, are your leaders fulfilling those needs?

Businesses typically have many leaders of many different forms, from President’s & CEO’s to Supervisors and natural leaders within a team. The question we should be asking is, are these leaders moving the business forward, or holding it back unwittingly.

For the most part, gone are the days when the authoritarian, ‘bulldozer’ leadership style works. It doesn’t. In fact, it’s been proven time and time again that a happier, more valued workforce, delivers higher productivity, lower costs and better results. If your a numbers person, that means bigger profits!

People have an innate desire for reciprocity, use it carefully.

Care for them and they’ll willingly care for your business and its mission. Trust them, and they’ll willingly trust the direction in which you lead them. Go the extra mile for them, and they will willingly go the extra mile to deliver more for you and your business. Make them feel safe and secure, and they’ll do the same for you and your business!

So why don’t most leaders do this?

This is something Simon Sinek talks about superbly in his very popular TED Talk, ‘Why good leaders make you feel safe’. During his speech, Simon delivers some inspiring insights and examples of great leadership, that make us wonder, where did leadership go so wrong and isn’t it high time for all businesses to make a change?

Check out the video here and be sure to let us know what you think afterwards!

It’s a thought provoking presentation, isn’t it?

So how do you see leadership today, and in the future? Do you think your business or other businesses would succeed with this style of leadership in your country? Have you seen companies already making this shift in leadership style?

Let us know what you think by sharing your ideas and experiences with us here in the comments!

Feel free to share this article with your colleagues and friends via Facebook and LinkedIn, so they can also take in these intriguing and valuable message on, too.

Best,

Adam 

P.S. Did you understand everything in this article and video? If you want to expand your professional vocabulary and raise your level in Business English, check out our courses and services here!

For the definitions of the highlighted words check our Glossary.