People-focused leaders put employees above business, customers, and Wall Street. People are the foundation of every business. Further, the employee experience has a dramatic impact on the customer experience. When you take care of your people, they will take care of your customers.
People-focused leaders possess three powerful traits that enable them to increase productivity, retention, and revenue. Costco provides a great example of a people-first organization. Despite the pressures from Wall Street to cut wages and benefits, Costco fiercely defends its people-first principles and values. As a result, Costco regularly achieves a 94% retention rate.
5 Competitive Advantages to Being People-Focused:
- Employees sit in front of your customers so focusing on them improves your customer experience.
- They produce your product, so focusing on employees translates to delivering a better product.
- Employees have a tremendous impact on your revenue, so the greater the focus on people, the more you maximize revenue.
- Being people-focused significantly improves your employer brand and, as a result, helps you attract and retain top talent.
- People-focused businesses are developing a bench of leaders, enabling the organization to grow and expand without disrupting your culture.
3 Powerful Traits of People-Focused Leaders
People-focused leaders demonstrate their commitment to people by coaching and developing the employees. They build mutual trust and help them develop the competencies and skills the business needs, now and in the future. Further, they recognize every interaction is an opportunity to listen, teach, and inspire.
People-Focused Leaders Demonstrate Courage
They are unafraid of losing their job or status to their employees. Their lack of fear helps them coach and develop the employees into high-performers. People-focused leaders help their high-potentials develop the skills necessary to reach that potential. Additionally, they allow their employees to stretch their skills by assigning them to highly visible and critical projects.
Additionally, people-focused leaders speak on behalf of, and as a champion, for their employees. They frequently talk about the great work they are doing. People-focused leaders actively engage in public relations campaigns across the organization to help their employees gain visibility with other executives.
Sometimes leaders become so engrossed in the business they forget it is the people who make the business successful. People-focused leaders are courageous enough to speak up and speak out about their employees.
People-Focused Leaders Demonstrate Curiosity
They are curious about what it means for a person on their team to be their best selves at work. People-focused leaders are curious about what they need to know about their employees and what they need to provide to them to bring forward that best self.
Curiosity helps people leaders avoid confirmation bias and stereotyping their employees. It allows them to take on perspectives other than their own. Being curious about employees increases engagement because it forms a significant connection between the leader and the employee.
People-Focused Leaders Tunnel Vision for Their Employees
They block out the noise. There is noise in the background saying not to focus on something because it won’t be popular. Or noise that says, don’t let that person be the spokesperson for this big idea because it will reduce the brightness of your light. The noise that is always present in the background makes some leaders hesitate, stop, and not go forward.
People-focused leaders develop tunnel vision on the outcome they want for their people, and it is in play all the time. The best people leaders know that when their team shines, they shine.
These are the three most powerful traits the best people leaders possess. They serve as a foundation for leading employees and helping them bring forward their best selves. Bringing out the best in the people on your team is the only way you will achieve success.
