FEATURE
Same applies at Shopify . CEO , Tobi Lütke , was the poster-boy for ‘ Cancelled CEOs ’, copping media flack and resignations for saying “ we are not a family , we ’ re a team ” and that Shopify couldn ’ t solve the world ’ s societal problems . However , he made the company ’ s standpoint clear and has since stabilised the company ’ s environment . While these may be considered fairly extreme examples , to sugar-coat corporate realities with insincerity is simply indicative of corporates gaslighting employees .
Executives need to search within , and seek support
Meredith Carson , Founder & CEO , Growth Ensemble
Jamie Dimon , X ’ s Elon Musk and Disney ’ s Bob Iger insisting staff return to the office , which has been met with public outrage by employees .
Meanwhile , the executive suite is flaming out , if not already burnt out . A recent survey by Deloitte highlighted that seven out of 10 managers lack the organisational support they need to enhance employee wellbeing , facing obstacles such as rigid company policies , heavy workloads and an unsupportive workplace culture that prevent them from doing more to support their team members . The year before , a similar study highlighted that nearly seven in 10 leaders told Deloitte they ’ d thought about quitting .
In an environment where nearly everyone is fed up , suspicious and generally at their wit ’ s end with one another … what do we do about employee engagement ? In the face of this trust crisis , the rules of employee engagement remain steadfast . That being said , it ’ s time to strip away the fluff and get back to basics . Employees will not have the wool pulled over their eyes and employers need to focus on what matters most .
The starting point : authentic corporate values
Transparency begets trust . When people know what kind of corporate beast they ’ re dealing with , they are empowered to decide whether it ’ s the right place for them . It would be interesting to see what the sentiment is like at X ( the platform formerly known as Twitter ) presently ; as brutal as Musk ’ s actions were in setting expectations , he was clear in articulating what they are . It ’ s unlikely there ’ s a culture of people ‘ ringing it in ’ or working under duress at X these days . Like it or not , the new values of the organisation are apparent .
Executives need to genuinely immerse themselves in the employee engagement process . A study by Harvard Business Review emphasised that 70 % of employee engagement variance is influenced by the actions of the organisation ’ s leadership . If , for example , companies want to champion a growth mindset within its workforce , executives cannot lead from a fixed mindset that mutes the development of high agency within their teams . At a minimum , executives need to apply the same standards and ask the same questions of themselves , as they do their teams .
If executives and leadership teams are displaying signs of burnout , it ’ s incumbent on them , their peers as well as their boards , to ensure the C-suite is better supported . Mental wellness is a subject that in many cultures can be stigmatised ; it can be even more pronounced in the C-suite , where the stoic culture of ‘ this pressure is what I signed up for ’ is toxic . Overlay this with the isolation that comes with the job , and trouble awaits . It can be very difficult for a C-suite to remain committed at a personal level to employee engagement activities when they themselves are unable to engage . Check in with one another and have open discussion on the subject where appropriate . Champion mental wellbeing within the executive team and ensure that the C-suite have access to confidential mental health resources . This will have a healthier knock-on effect for the company at large and can be quite transformational for the overall organisational approach to employee wellbeing in general .
Modernise the employeremployee dynamic
Traditional leadership models are evolving into collaborative networks , where team members ’ insights and expertise are valued at all levels . This shift provides an opportunity for leaders to review their role as a ‘ director ’ and consider
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