What's that boss joke again

Many businesses host events, town halls, or “talk show” features where internal leaders are interviewed or external speakers are invited to share insights. I’ve attended numerous such events and have been featured in the interviews.

A leader who is admired and respected was in this interview. He asked his team for feedback. One team member bravely said, “You’re so approachable and always listen to our ideas!” The leader smiled and said, “Great! Keep the compliments coming.” Another team member added, “You’re also very modest.” The leader replied, “Well, I do try to be humble... and perfect in every other way.” There was a roar of laughter. This leader exhibits wit and humility. However, only a few leaders are like him.

This time, a not-so-admired and respected leader noticed his demotivated employees and said, “We need to increase our productivity! Do you have any suggestions?” An employee jokingly replied, “How about better leadership?” The leader laughed and said, “Good one! Now, seriously, do you have any ideas?” And as if on cue, the team shook their heads and sighed in unison. This leader just does not get it, does he?

I hope these bring a smile to your face!

People make or break a company, something that’s easy to forget with all the hype over AI. But let’s set aside all these tech talks and focus on the moment’s reality: People!

We don’t even have to do guesswork. There is actual data that can provide us with insights. Paycor, a human capital management platform, surveyed more than 7,000 American employees, half of whom worked in HR, over what makes companies and employees successful. Here are the key insights:

Attracting and retaining talent is the biggest challenge:

• 71 percent of companies say finding quality employees is their biggest recruiting challenge.

• 38 percent of employees who have been at a company for less than two years are more likely to search for a new job within the following year.

• Concerningly, half (46 percent) of HR professionals have been in their jobs for two years or less.

Can you imagine this? Even HR professionals only stay in their companies for a short time.

Leader feedback is essential for high performance:

• Employees in high-performing companies are 110 percent more likely to get productive feedback from managers and 397 percent more likely to say their leaders are engaged and inspirational.

• However, only 39 percent of remote workers say they get productive feedback from their managers, compared to 56 percent of hybrid employees and 50 percent of onsite employees.

• Meanwhile, hybrid and onsite workers say burnout is the number one reason managers are ineffective – but remote employees beg to differ. They say their managers don’t have enough HR support.

Strong leaders drive solid financial performance:

• 83 percent of companies with excellent financial performance in the last year agreed that their leaders were highly effective.

• By comparison, 85 percent of companies with poor economic performance said their leaders were ineffective.

“It could be that in high-performing companies, HR has figured out ways to give managers back time to coach and develop (teams),” the report’s authors wrote.

You might think these statistics reflect a different country’s situation, not ours. However, we should reframe our thinking and honestly assess our circumstances. In my role of conducting training, keynotes, and seminars across various industries, conducting endless training needs analyses, and conferring with HR chiefs and business owners, these issues are also prevalent here.

Great leaders aren’t just about the bottom line. They’re the secret weapon that unlocks employee potential and propels businesses forward. Here’s how: They chart a clear course, inspiring employees to rally behind a shared vision. This sense of purpose fuels motivation and goal achievement.

Good leaders understand that their best asset walks out the door every night. They invest in employee development, fostering a culture of continuous learning and career growth.

Good leaders understand that recognition and rewards go beyond a pat on the back. They show employees their contributions matter, fostering a sense of value and appreciation that keeps them engaged.

Good leaders foster transparency and trust by maintaining open lines of communication. This two-way street empowers employees and strengthens the team.

What happens if your organization is filled with clueless and ineffective leaders? It likely means they need proper training to develop their leadership skills.

Last joke for the day:

Why did the company’s productivity plummet? Because their leaders skipped leadership training and thought “leadership” was just about leading lunch breaks! And they also thought that leadership development and training were for others rather than for them.

It’s time to sign them up for some real training! In an age of hyper-competition and chronic instability, untrained leaders who keep losing good people and fail to boost productivity and profitability aren’t so funny. And no one is laughing! And no one is laughing!

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)