One of the biggest failures of most business-related college programs, bachelors or masters level, is they don’t include any elements of developing the ability to engage others as a part of the curriculum. Most business degrees focus on the intellectual aspects of business and not the human aspects of business. In my 30+years of experience working with dozens of different senior leaders, almost all of them were very smart individuals, but not all of them were highly effective leaders. The best leaders I worked with were not only very smart individuals they were also very good at building a culture of engagement. Building a culture of engagement is not something you can buy; it must be built by the leader through consistently connecting with the people he or she leads on a daily basis. It is built by connecting with all stakeholders on an emotional level and can’t be accomplished simply by demanding it. The person at the top needs to set the example through his or her words and deeds and also hold others accountable to a high standard of treating all others with respect, connecting with others on a human level and valuing everyone else as a person and not just a worker. That approach over time will create a culture of engagement that is far more productive and profitable than a workplace built on lots of rules and a command-and-control approach.
“Engagement Sets Great Leaders Apart From Average Leaders”
