Would you run away during gun fire, or would you run back to save the wounded? Captain William Swenson did the latter, and was rewarded for this with the congressional Medal of Honour.
In business, it works the other way around. People who are willing to sacrifice others for their own gains receive the bonusses.
So where does that difference come from?
In one of his TED Talks, Simon Sinek discusses this topic. He did research on this question, and the first thing he noted was that trust an cooperation is very important. However, these are feelings. You can instruct someone to trust you, but this will not make them trust you any more or less.
The world is filled with danger, and in an organization, the leader sets the tone. When a leader decides to focus on trust within the organization, he or she can create a culture with action similar to those of Captain William.
People who fear their leaders will show that they don’t feel safe in their organization. They feel forced to protect themselves in the organization, because their leader won’t do so.
In a family, as a parent, you want to provide your children with a safe environment, so they can develop themselves and grow up to achieve their goals. Within organizations, leaders want the same thing.
This is one of the reasons why many people feel hate towards CEO’s with disproportionate salaries and bonuses. They don’t hate the numbers itself. But great leaders shouldn’t sacrifice people to protect their own interest, and that is what drove them to the top.
When people feel safe and protected by their leaders within the organization, they will respond with trust and cooperation.
To quote Simon Sinek: “Leadership is a choice. It is not a rank”. People in the highest layers of the organization don’t necessarily have leadership, they just have authority.
People will sacrifice themselves for great leaders. And if you ask them why, they will tell you: “Because they would have done it for me”.
Is this the type of organization that you want to work in? Then think about your actions. Be a leader, not an authority.
Reference:
Sinek, S. (2017). Why good leaders make you feel safe. [online] Ted.com. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe?utm_campaign=tedspread–b&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare [Accessed 4 Oct. 2017].
Hi Daniëlle, I think you are making a really valid point. I think it is also important at what kind of people are needed in the top of the companies. Morgan (2015) states that all managers (or CEO’s in your case) must be leaders or there will be no basis for trust and engagement within an organization. However, if we would fill the top of the companies with only ‘leader types’ it might be interesting to see what happens. Keller (n.d.) states that managerial capabilities are just as important as the leadership capabilities.
I don’t know if I agree with your point that everyone at the top of a company got there at the cost of others. It might also indicate a company culture that might not suit you. A ‘healthier’ company culture would in my opinion reward performance and therefore promote the best employees.
Morgan, J. (2015). Why All Managers Must Be Leaders. Consulted on October 4th via https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2015/01/21/why-all-managers-must-be-leaders/#27e582f47fd3
Keller, K. (n.d.) Managers vs. Leaders. Why Managers Must Be Influencers, Too. Consulted on October 4th via https://www.karen-keller.com/blog/managers-vs-leaders-why-managers-must-be-influencers-too
How do you think technology could impact this?