Leaders and the "Safe" Place

One thing leaders are responsible for is the overall "atmosphere" of the place where they are in charge.  I realize this nebulous term "atmosphere" can be descriptive of many different things.  How I am using it here is to describe the overall sense that all people in the workplace have toward the workplace.  Is there suspicion at work? Do the workers come away with a sense of completeness to their work?  Is there camaraderie present between everyone in the workplace?  Do you avoid topics or issues?  Is there a lot of conflict present?  All of these, as well as many more, demonstrate the sense of atmosphere in a given organization.

Today I want to focus on the atmosphere being one we could call safe.  Is it a place where all who work there are able to express themselves without worry?  Do they sense that they can ask questions, even if the questions are hard questions?  Can they express doubt about direction?  If there is an issue that needs resolving, is the environment one that allows them to work through the process of resolution?  Reading through these, you likely get the sense that an answer of yes means that this is a safe atmosphere.

What is the importance of a safe atmosphere in the workplace?  It allows individuals the opportunity to truly focus on doing well what they are there to do. If the workers always have to worry about offending the boss or someone else, they will spend copious amounts of energy to avoid doing so.  If conflict is constantly present, everyone involved spends needless time and effort worrying about its impact on them.  If suspicion is present, everyone spends much energy protecting themselves.  In all of these situations, productivity suffers.

Leaders are the ones in charge of creating the safe place.  To do that, the leader must be comfortable working through the challenges and issues that lead to an environment that is not safe.  The leader also must be someone who sets the tone firmly, yet can be gentle with people.  It is tremendously helpful for the leader to be curious about people, to find out what is most helpful to each one in creating that safe place.  The leader must be pushed to consider all the different people involved, their reactions, and to be prepared to shift course if any chosen course of action threatens.

A safe environment allows everyone involved to have a sense of joy in the workplace while also challenging them to strive for more.  When you have a safe workplace, both of these can and do exist at the same time.

Those for Whom the Leader Cares

I recently started reading a book, Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek.  I'm only a few chapters in, but one thing that has stood out so far in this book is a thought I thought worth sharing today.  It's the thought considering those for whom the leader cares.

I would suggest that we often think of the leader (in whatever kind of organization) as the one to whom others answer.  Our thought of leadership tends to be one that looks down from above.  By that, I mean that the leader looks at those beneath him/her and gives them guidance and direction in what to do.  Those beneath him/her respond by doing what the leader says, so that the leader is pleased with what they do.  In this type of situation, others are doing what they do to serve the leader.

Sinek, though, really hits home with a different idea.  The leader is the one who is serving the people beneath him/her. The leader looks to care for the people who are in the organization, making sure that their needs are met.  These needs are not only the proper equipping for the roles they play, but also include the need of feeling as though they are a vital part of the organization.  They need to feel respected and valued.  They need the leader to recognize what their needs are beyond the work environment, and then strive to meet those needs as possible.  In other words, the leader serves the people.

I haven't read any particular studies on this, but I would imagine that if I did, I would see that the research would greatly demonstrate that leaders who serve those who work under them work to give greater effort when they perceive that they are valued, needed, and that their needs are important to the leader and the organization.  Think about it.  Where would you feel more valued, in a situation in which the leader sought to get as much out of you, didn't relate with you, and viewed you as replaceable, or a situation in which the leader intentionally asked how things were going and actively worked to make changes to care for your expressed needs?

Caring for those who work for you, and even those who work alongside as equals, goes a long way toward building a healthy, strong and productive work environment.  In your various roles, how can you look to better serve those with whom you work, or those who report to you?