The Thin Line Between People Leadership and Results
A Narrow Focus Could Cost You
Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash
By sheer coincidence, I had similar discussions about the importance of people leadership with two executives from completely different Fortune 50 companies in one day.
The first executive said, “The higher I rise, the more political it becomes, and results take precedence over people.” The second executive noted, “The more I’m promoted, the further I drift from our people, which genuinely concerns me.”
What’s the context here? Both executives, who do not know each other, confided that they struggle to maintain contact with what drives every organization: people. Both perspectives are valid. In one conversation, one executive felt that the director level was the highest position in an organization before things became “messy” and “disconnected.” In the other conversation, the second executive suggested that junior executive roles marked the threshold for making decisions that prioritize the bottom line over the human aspect.
The same conversation, the same topic, and the same problem- an important one. However, there’s a key point: in both discussions, each executive felt that reaching the organization’s peak brings the perspective on people back to the forefront. In other words, they indicated that grinding it out at the “junior executive” level mainly focuses on results, but at the senior executive level or higher, prioritizing people becomes essential again.
Interesting perceptions. It doesn’t matter how high you climb, where you do it, or even who has helped you along the way. Eventually, you’ll lose if you disconnect from your most important resource: your people. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, and perhaps not even this year or in your current organization. But the music will eventually stop for you, and you’ll have to answer to someone, somewhere, who hasn’t lost sight of that. Especially in these times when organizations are becoming less tolerant of those who cannot motivate and retain people. Why? Because for every organization that thrives in its space, there’s another competing organization that is also flourishing and prioritizing its people more. That’s how it works. Competitors win by luring your people away. It only takes one employee to make that jump, and the rest will follow. This is not cutting-edge; it happens every day. Smart leaders in organizations understand this.
You can’t please everyone, but you can prioritize their needs. People leadership is complex, regardless of the setting. More specifically, in the corporate world, people will choose money over loyalty if they don’t like you; it’s that simple. Moreover, if employees are unhappy in their roles due to ineffective people leaders, they may accept a lower salary or, simply put, take a pay cut to make a change. How disheartening.
A few years ago, one of my former employees, a senior manager, was promoted to a new role in a different part of the organization to work for a new executive. The senior manager was widely regarded as “high-priority talent.” After about six months in the new position, the senior manager, who had been with the organization for years, left to join a competing company for less money because the new executive never took the time to connect with them personally. It was purely about work and results; there was a complete lack of personal interaction. The new executive was shocked when the senior manager submitted their resignation.
As the former leader of the senior manager, I had a strong relationship with them. We connected on many levels and, frankly, formed a powerful team that led to their eventual promotion. When the new executive sent me a message asking if I could speak with the senior manager to explore a possible change of mind, I walked down the hall to their office, closed the door, and spoke candidly with them.
Here’s a summary of what I said: “There’s no chance they will stay. You’ve never taken the time to get to know them. They’ve worked for you for six months, and you cannot tell me where they went to college, where they grew up, or whether they even have a family- nothing. The senior manager has informed me that you are solely focused on business and results and that your lack of empathy is off-putting to them. They’ve mentioned that you quickly redirect the conversation back to business when they tried to learn about you. They were attempting to build rapport with you, and the perception was that you weren’t interested. They said the final straw was when you called them one evening at 9 pm regarding a deliverable. While the employee acknowledged that they should have never answered the phone, doing so and hearing you raise your voice that evening confirmed for them and their family that leaving you and this organization was in their best interest. Perhaps your focus is entirely on business and results, which works for some employees but not this one. They’re leaving and not thinking twice about it. It’s done.”
The executive became defensive and attempted to explain, but it went in one ear and out the other. I never followed up with the senior manager about that conversation; there was no point in doing so. To this day, they don’t even know it occurred. As I transitioned from leader to mentor in that relationship, I aimed for what was best for them and encouraged them to pursue their own best interests. Moreover, they had a better situation awaiting them, and they eventually thrived in the new environment because that’s what high-level talent does. Great people leaders are genuinely supportive when their team finds an opportunity that is in their best interests.
In organizations and teams where leadership is required, focusing solely on results may seem essential, but that’s not the reality. It creates a temporary sense of obligation, and it’s ineffective. Why? Because in organizations and teams where results depend on people, you can’t drive outcomes without them. The farther you are perceived to be from your people’s perspective, the harder you will need to work to gain their trust. Moreover, the higher you rise in an organization, the narrower the window becomes to accomplish this.
So, what can you do at that level despite the feelings of obligation to drive results? Demonstrate genuine interest at every opportunity. Look your people in the eyes and learn about them. Don’t act interested; be interested. Personal connection points matter, whether it’s a handshake, a high-five, a fist bump, a birthday wish, or even an acknowledgment of a work anniversary. Anything and everything you can do to say, “I see you, and I am thankful for you,” will go a long way. Also, let them know you. The more they know about you, the better the opportunity to gain their trust. People don’t trust those they don’t know. This isn’t evolutionary; it’s common sense.
It’s the little things that cost you nothing. If you can’t do that as an executive, then you should start the timer because your people are leaving soon, and whether or not you realize it, you might be, too.