Employees have never been more in need of an authentic purpose and want to be engaged by their employer’s clear social purpose, wellbeing and environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.
If employees are to feel more connected and if authentic leadership is to be achieved, leaders must show empathy and openness. According to Sharp, three-quarters of employees see effective communication as the number one leadership attribute.
And if they do feel connected to their organisation and leaders, employees are more likely to stay longer and perform better, according to Forbes.
To try to maintain authentic leadership during a prolonged period of remote working for many employees, leaders have shown many good examples of more empathetic and open communication. There’s also been a growing trend to make strategic narratives fit a storytelling approach in a consistent way. That brings a consistency to tone of voice and language that will ensure messages resonate and engage people across an organisation.
It is this ‘letting down of their guard’ by leaders that can allow authentic leadership examples to flourish – and in turn allow the “thawing of the middle” for organisations. Empowering line managers who have become frozen out in recent years to communicate better with their teams is a powerful way to show authentic leadership – whether it be improved training, practical resources and virtual communities.
The report includes insights from our client work and across the industry as businesses look to make their future workplace modern, purposeful, people-centric, authentic, and focused on wellbeing.
It also includes top tips for evolving your authentic workplace, from clear, authentic narrative storytelling, encouraging an authentic leadership style more widely, and giving line managers the best tools to help you communicate.