Impacting People’s Life

Dear Managers and Leaders!

One company I know very well is on vacation this week. The whole company is off for the week! Shocking, isn’t it? This is what the CEO decided to do in order to cut costs. Forcing people to take a one-week vacation will save the company enough money to avoid lay-offs or other more drastic cost-cutting measures.  

I do not have all the elements that made that decision, but from an external point of view, I think it was a good decision for the following reasons:

• It keeps the “family” intact. The whole team will remain and go through the crisis as a single entity.
• It re-inforces team spirit and the CEO’s leadership. It actually tells the team: “I care about you and I value the team as a whole. Let’s face this crisis together as a team by all participating in the solution.”
• It minimizes the impact of the crisis and avoids reducing the company’s ability to recover from the crisis and soar at the exit of the downturn.

When looking at this decision, it strikes me how leaders can impact the life of their followers! Here the CEO could have decided to lay off people to save money and put a lot of family in a tough situation. Instead, he decided to send people off for a week on a paid vacation. For the employees, it is quite a different situation!

Thinking about leadership in terms of the impact on the followers helps one to realize the responsibility of being the leader. Of course you want your team to be efficient; of course you want to meet your goals. But you should always bear in mind that your actions have effects on the people who are following you. You have to care for these people and provide them with security and love. Leadership brings responsibilities, responsibilities towards the people following your lead!

What about you, dear leaders? Have you ever felt that you had to care about your people? Have you ever had to make a decision impacting people’s life?

Until next time,

Remi Cote