Despite a decade of emphasising how important employee engagement and effective leadership are for business, studies published in recent years show that high percentages of employees are still demotivated, unhappy and unproductive at work.

How did this happen? And if you are in a leadership role, what can you do about it?

One of the most significant factors that effects leadership and, in turn, workforce motivation is a global economic crisis – like the one that kicked off in 2007 and still continues to affect employment and trade today.

After all, it’s more difficult to trust other people during a recession, when the stakes are high and you are fighting for the survival of your business. However, the cost of not trusting your workforce has a price. For a start, it means the workforce responds by losing trust in you.

 In fact, a 2013 study by the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development found that only 61% of employees rated their manager as trustworthy; that’s less than two-thirds!

From a leadership point of view, this means that you can’t afford to isolate yourself -even during tough times. You need to influence the social aspect of who you are by engaging with the people around you.  How we interact with others and how they perceive us is a crucial aspect of successful leadership.

You can manage this social element by adopting a ‘relational leadership’ style. Although the term has been associated with a biblical model of leadership, we are talking about the basic premise of relational leadership:

  A productive organisation or team depends on relationships both within the team and especially with the team leader. 

These workplace connections are like parts of the machinery that produces profits, productivity and performance.  So it makes sense to look after them.  Let’s take a closer look…

What are the key characteristics of a relational leader?

 Drawing on material from the University of Texas, the 5 key characteristics are:

1. Inclusive – invite, welcome and consider other people’s viewpoints.
2. Empowering – delegate responsibility where possible in order to improve efficiency and develop skills, while boosting morale and commitment.
3. Purposeful – demonstrate a personal commitment that, in turn, encourages commitment from others
4. Ethical – guide by moral standards that value others, encourage social responsibility, and act as a role model for the team. In other words, it’s not only about profit.
5. Process-oriented – focus on how the team/organisation works together, the dynamics, the process, the tools for collaboration and so on, leading to group achievements and successes.

How can you be a good relational leader?

The good news is that relational leadership is a skill and can be learned; it merely takes focus, commitment and consistency. The main relational activities to practice – as recommended by Forbes magazine – are as follows:

1. Express genuine care and concern – ask people what their working challenges are and, just as importantly,  listen to the answers.
2. Set high standards – and then meet them yourself as a role model.
3. Gather the viewpoints of others and put them to use – collect opinions and be seen to use them in your decision-making.
4. Share information  â€“ an open and honest leader is a trusted leader. And remember with the relevant information, people can do a better job.
5. Be a role model to follow – people are watching what you do, even if you think they aren’t!
6. Check you understand – don’t take anything for granted or make assumptions, clarify what’s going on and make sure you have the full picture and that everyone else does too.
7. Give honest but considerate feedback – don’t be harsh but don’t be dishonest either; share your views in a thoughtful manner and you’ll build rapport with your team.

Remember: The quality of your leadership depends on the quality of the relationships with the people you lead.  Find out more about you can become a successful leader, improve your  communication skills and manage conflict:

INBODY FOR BUSINESS

photos:  Gratisphotography, Jack Moreh - Stockvault, Highway Agency.