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Leaders need self-awareness, emotional intelligence
At a recent social function attended by
leaders from a local organization, conversa-
tion revolved around traditional “work” top-
ics until the moment the boss left.
Within 10 minutes, the group was dancing
to “Motown’s Greatest Hits.”
The group members did not allow them-
selves to “live” fully until the pressure to con-
form to the “worker” role was removed.
Consider the losses in productivity stem-
ming from the absence of trust, creativity and
openness that became apparent only when
the leaders were “reborn” as fully function-
ing, multi-dimensional humans.
In considering the work/life balance issue,
leaders should ask themselves: Are our peo-
ple really committed to achieving our com-
pany’s goals? Have we done everything pos-
sible to ensure that they are?
RESPECTING HUMANITY
Productivity can be sustained only in an
organizational culture that stimulates loyalty
and commitment from its employees. To
compete, an organization’s leaders must rec-
ognize that they can achieve the internal sta-
bility necessary to cope with constantly
changing pressures only by acting on the
obvious — human beings perform best in
environments that honor their humanity.
Paul J. Meyer, author of “Bridging the
Leadership Gap,” identifies the key areas in
employees’ personal lives as financial and
career, family and home, mental and educa-
tional, physical and health, social and cul-
tural, and spiritual and ethical.
By paying attention to employees’ personal
goals, an organization creates a culture associ-
ated with higher sat