Strong leadership means supporting employees without sacrificing performance. On today’s episode of Lessons in Leadership, leadership expert and LearnToLead founder, Dave Anderson, explains how leaders can guide their employees through challenging times without sacrificing accountability and productivity.
The most important thing to remember is that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for every situation. However, there are specific principles that can be applied to almost all circumstances to help keep impacted employees on track.
Maintain role clarity
While it may be difficult, especially for empathetic leaders who care deeply for their teams, it’s crucial to maintain role clarity. It’s not a leader’s job to take responsibility or shoulder the burden of their employees’ problems. Their responsibility is to help their employees remain productive at work while they battle through their issues.
"Your role is not to solve the problem or take ownership of the problem. It's to help them remain as productive as possible as they work through the problem."
First, express empathy and then offer assistance to help the team member remain productive. An excellent example is: “I’m sorry that you’re going through this. If there’s something I can do to help you remain productive while you’re battling through this, please let me know.“
There are several ways to support an employee, and these solutions can range from temporarily adjusting their schedule or reallocating their responsibilities to accommodate remote work.
Don’t let up on accountability
One of the most common mistakes leaders make when trying to support team members is slowing down on enforcing accountability. While most leaders believe that temporarily laying off employees helps them, in reality, it hurts them.
Without accountability, impacted employees can develop a detrimental mindset and bad habits, detaching them from established processes and routines that keep them focused and help them grow.
Don’t prematurely lighten their workload
Another common mistake that Anderson sees is leaders rushing to reduce the workload of employees who are impacted. While it may seem like a generous thing to do, reducing their workload can cause more harm than good.
It frees up the employee’s time and may allow them to ruminate on the issues that they’re experiencing. Work can be a beneficial distraction that helps them feel in control when it feels like their life is spiraling out of control. In addition, wins at work can also help rebuild their confidence.
Balancing empathy with accountability
Leaders who strike a balance between empathy and accountability can help employees navigate challenging times while keeping the team on track and focused. By maintaining role clarity, offering practical support, and allowing work to serve as a stabilizing force, leaders not only help employees stay productive but also foster resilience, confidence and long-term growth within their teams.
