The Future of Leadership: Redefining Engagement, Mental Health, and Culture

The Workplace Wellness Collective: Workplace Leadership Hour Episode 3

In this insightful episode, co-hosts Sumana Jeddy, Felipe Cofiño, and Michele Thomson delve into the evolving landscape of leadership. They explore how modern leaders can adapt to changing expectations and challenges, with a focus on three key areas: engagement, mental health, and organizational culture. Guest speaker Marion Spears Karr shares how to redefine engagement by understand employee motivators. Together they offer actionable insights, research, and strategies for leaders to navigate the complexities of engagement, mental health, and culture, ultimately driving organizational success and fostering a supportive work environment.

Combined Strategy Overview

To succeed in the future of leadership, organizations must adopt a holistic approach that includes:

1. Developing leaders with the right competencies through structured, practical training.
2. Fostering a culture of emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and open communication.
3. Prioritizing employee well-being and adapting leadership styles to meet the diverse needs of a multi-generational workforce.
4. Continuously aligning organizational goals with employee motivations and ensuring that leadership remains adaptive and inclusive.

Sumana Jeddy

Founder and CEO, Jeddy Wellness

Key Insights:

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) and Competency-Based Training

Definition and Purpose: EPAs are specific tasks or responsibilities that a professional should be able to perform independently once they have demonstrated adequate competence. This concept is crucial in ensuring that healthcare professionals and leaders can engage effectively in their roles. Competency-based training aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, ensuring that employees can perform their duties confidently and independently. 

What are the 7 EPAs?

1. Leaders must be able to clearly and compellingly articulate the organization’s vision and goals. This competency ensures that employees understand the broader purpose of their work and are motivated by a shared vision. 
2. Effective communication involves not just conveying information but also listening actively and providing feedback. This competency is vital for fostering an open and trusting environment where employees feel heard and valued. 
3. Building strong, supportive, and positive relationships with team members is crucial. This involves demonstrating empathy and respect which are key to enhancing engagement and job satisfaction
4. Leaders need to handle conflicts constructively and fairly. This competency helps in maintaining a harmonious work environment and addressing issues before they escalate. 
5. Effective performance management involves setting clear expectations, providing ongoing feedback, and supporting employee development. This competency is essential for maintaining high standards and promoting continuous improvement.
6. Recognizing and rewarding employee contributions is important for motivation and engagement. This competency ensures that leaders are able to acknowledge and celebrate achievements appropriately.
7. Leaders must be adaptable and open to new ideas and approaches. This competency is important for driving change and ensuring that the organization remains responsive to evolving needs and challenges. 

Ref: The Engagement Chasm: Time for competency-based training in employee engagement for healthcare and beyond (2024).

ACTION 1: COMPETENCY-BASED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Leaders should focus on mastering specific tasks (EPAs) that are essential for engaging employees, such as vision articulation, communication, relationship building, conflict resolution, performance management, employee recognition, and adaptability.

• Implement training programs that bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application to ensure that leaders can perform these key tasks confidently.

• Regularly assess the impact of training and apply these principles across various sectors, not just healthcare.

Michele Thomson

Leadership and Workplace Culture Specialist

Key Insights:

• • Creating and Developing Competent Leaders

    Promoting individuals based on their demonstrated leadership capabilities rather than merely their performance in current roles. The Peter Principle: individuals are promoted based on their performance in their current role until they reach a position where they are no longer competent. Essentially, people are promoted to their level of incompetence.

    To counteract the Peter Principle, It’s crucial to implement competency-based promotions, offer realistic job previews, and support continuous development. Fostering a culture of learning and self-assessment, and regularly evaluating leadership criteria. Organizations can ensure that their leaders are well-prepared and effective in their roles, thus enhancing overall organizational success. 

• • Importance of Emotional Intelligence

    Create a psychologically safe environment that fosters trust and support in the workplace.

    Encourage Open Communication: Foster an environment where employees feel safe to express their thoughts, concerns, and feelings without fear of judgment or retaliation.

    Support Vulnerability: Normalize vulnerability by modeling openness about challenges and mistakes. Leaders who share their experiences and acknowledge their own limitations set a precedent for others to do the same, reducing fear of negative repercussions. 

• • Good Communication Skills

    highlight the art of storytelling, make it relatable and engaging to help people within the organization. Have employees share what is important to them. Example: ask what goals they have and how their organization can help reach and support them. 

• • Address Work-Related Stress and Burnout

    Evaluate the workload and stress levels of employees, particularly in high-stress fields like healthcare. Seek feedback on what support is needed when feeling overwhelmed, such as additional time off or better work-life balance. Recognize and address issues like emotional exhaustion and compassion fatigue, and provide autonomy for employees to make decisions and manage their well-being effectively. Ensure employees feel valued, seen, and heard. 

• • Value Driven leadership

    Align organizational culture to individual and personal preferences into the organization’s culture. Example: sometimes organizations and employees don’t always align in regards to core values. It is important to have conversations that ensure alignment and core values of employees can be respected and implemented into the organization’s values as a whole.

ACTION 2: PROMOTING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

• • Align organizational culture with individual values to create a cohesive work environment.

• • Encourage a culture where employees feel safe to express themselves, and leaders model openness about their challenges and mistakes, fostering trust and reducing fear.

• • Actively evaluate and address stress levels and burnout, particularly in high-stress fields, and support employees’ autonomy in managing their well-being.

Felipe Cofiño

HR Executive| Top HR Voice Linkedin

Key Insights:

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement often gets tossed around without clear understanding. It’s crucial to distinguish between employees who are truly engaged and the efforts to engage them. Engaged employees participate actively because they feel valued, trusted, and secure in a workplace that is safe, fun, and fair.

Engagement does not happen overnight. Leaders must be patient, recognizing that it takes time, trust, and continuous effort to cultivate engagement. Over time, consistent listening, sharing, and participation will gradually bring more employees on board.

• • Future Focused leadership

    Recognize that different generations bring unique perspectives and ideas. Example: younger generations may offer innovative ideas and digital fluency, while more experienced generations contribute valuable industry knowledge and strategic thinking. By integrating these perspectives, leaders can foster a more creative and comprehensive approach to problem-solving. 

• • Creating an Inclusive Environment

    Leaders who embrace generational diversity create an inclusive workplace where all voices are heard and valued. This inclusivity enhances collaboration, as employees from various age groups feel respected and empowered to contribute their ideas and expertise. 

• • Formal leadership training in micro-sessions

     A flexible, cost-effective solution for organizations looking to build effective leaders who are well-prepared to handle the challenges of today’s dynamic work environment. 

ACTION 3: FUTURE FOCUSED LEADERSHIP AND GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY (FelipesFive)

1. Empathy in Action: Understand and address each team member’s unique needs by actively listening, customizing support, and fostering an inclusive culture. For example, by continuously improving and building trust, you create a supportive environment where employees feel valued and motivated.
2. Innovative Communication: Leverage tools and methods that cater to everyone’s communication styles, like direct messages, texting, and Zoom calls, to maintain open, transparent, and effective communication.
3. Wellness Prioritization: Implement comprehensive mental health support systems. For instance, offer access to licensed counselors, provide 24/7 crisis hotlines, and include resources for managing stress and work-life balance.
4. Inclusive Culture Building: Develop a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion by adopting a rotating approach to inclusivity efforts. For example, focus on engaging different perspectives and stay adaptable to ensure everyone feels valued and heard.
5. Adaptive Leadership: Stay flexible and responsive to changing circumstances by embracing continuous learning and experimentation. For example, develop adaptive strategies by staying informed, adjusting leadership styles as needed, and focusing on navigating new developments effectively.

Marion Spears Karr

Managing Partner and Founder of In-FLOW Executives

Key Insights:

1. Leaders must evolve beyond the traditional view that their sole responsibility is to benefit the organization. Instead, consider engagement from the perspective of the employees themselves.
2. Employees are primarily motivated by their need to support their families. Leaders can foster engagement by cultivating a work environment that not only acknowledges this fundamental need but actively supports it throughout their professional journey.
3. Each team member has distinct personal and professional goals. Leaders should strive to align these individual needs with the broader goals of the organization. By doing so, a more cohesive and motivated workforce will be created. To achieve this, leaders must harmonize the company’s objectives with the personal aspirations of the people they lead. Identify and address the needs of employees and align them with the organizational goals to build a genuinely engaged and committed team.

ACTION 4: REDEFINING ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP CRITERIA n

• • Understand what motivates your team and align organizational goals with employee needs.

• • Balance focus between key performance indicators (KPIs) and meeting employee needs to retain talent and ensure long-term engagement.

• • Ensure that the leadership team is well-aligned with the organization’s goals and culture to prevent loss of valuable talent.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach?

As the landscape of leadership continues to evolve, it’s clear that modern leaders must adapt to meet the changing expectations of their teams and organizations. By focusing on key areas like engagement, mental health, and organizational culture, leaders can navigate these challenges effectively and drive long-term success.

1. Stay Connected: Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter for ongoing support and resources designed to help you navigate workplace conversations and foster a more inclusive environment.
2. Call to Action: Now is the time to embrace the future of leadership. Implement these strategies to build a more engaged, healthy, and inclusive workplace. By aligning your leadership approach with the evolving needs of your team, you will create a culture where everyone thrives.
3. Workplace Leadership Hour: Live every other Wednesday on Linkedin at 10am MST/ 12pm EST.

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Written by Allison Giammona and Reviewed by Sumana Jeddy 

Stay connected with The Workplace Wellness Collective for more resources and discussions on creating a healthier, more inclusive workplace.