Relationship
with employees
The leader
not only has hierarchical authority (however, sometimes he doesn’t
have this) but he also has, above all, a great moral authority, which
the members of the organization are aware of.
This recognition
is not free; it is created by how the group perceive the leader and
the relationship that the leader establishes with his subordinates.
Somebody
who is efficient and valid but at the same time unsociable, will find
it difficult to gain respect and admiration from the group.
The relationship
that the leader establishes with his employees is based on the
following principles:
Fixing
the rules of play:
the leader needs to make it perfectly clear what he expects from his
team and he needs to let them know what to expect (the leader has
to avoid misunderstandings).
Loyalty:
the leader will demand the most from his employees but at the same
time he will never let them down. He is a man of his word; he is a
person that defends his people, who will never leave them stranded.
The only
way to get the support of the group is to show them that you will
be there to defend their interests. The support of the leader is especially
important in difficult moments, when for example, a member of the
group is questioned or criticized by third parties.
Open:
the leader will be a person that is accessible to all of the employees,
independent of their role in the company. There can not be boarders
that prevent a worker contacting the leader.
The leader
will listen carefully to everything anyone wants to tell him.
Respectful:
the leader will treat his subordinates with maximum respect.
The leader
knows when he should react with rigour in the presence of an unacceptable
performance. However, he will react in a way that he does not humiliate
anyone.
Friendly:
the leader will worry about establishing warm and human relationships
with his employees, rejecting the coldness that is usually associated
with directors.
You are
all in the same boat and you are all fighting for the same objectives.
Compassionate:
the leader will show compassion when a subordinate has made a mistake
(without meaning to) when in spite of having acted responsibly he
has not achieved the wanted results.
Compassion
is not a sign of weakness but of worry for people. The relationship
that the leader establishes with his collaborators will influence
the treatment that other executives allot their subordinates.
The attitude of the leader determines the culture of the company.
The leader
has to act like a model for the organization.
