We've all heard how important it is to lead by example — but it's often easier said than done when putting it into practice.
This week, HR leaders and benefits pros gathered to share their thoughts and learn new ideas for leading intentionally, while helping their employees grow and thrive, too. At EBN's Benefits at Work conference this week in San Diego, Rachel Druckenmiller, leadership expert and founder of Unmuted, shared the importance of vulnerability, story-telling and even humility when it comes to leading in an intentional and effective way.
"If people feel disconnected and they don't know where they're helping or why it matters, they're going to be checked out," she said. "We need leaders who show up with intention — those are things that really make a difference."
Read for Druckenmiller's exercises for practicing intentionality in your leadership strategies:
Acknowledging when an approach to working is no longer benefiting you or your employees can be a tough pill to swallow. For Gary Cooper, CEO, entrepreneur and author, striving for success led him down an unsustainable path. Working non-stop led to both physical and emotional challenges, and in pursuing a more stable life, Cooper was able to let go of control and trust his employees, making him a better leader in the process.
"I was relying on self-sufficiency my whole life, and that sounds like a good thing, but it's ultimately a real weakness," he says. "I went into meetings for the company I own and I shut up. We hired a business coach and she helped us work together. I had a lot of cool things to add to the business, and I needed to learn to do that in an appropriate way."
Read more about Cooper's journey and how he left his workaholic habits behind:
As HR leaders become more intentional with their leadership style and personal and professional goals, their employees thrive. Many of the professionals present at this week's conference shared what drives them to continue in their field — using ChatGPT, the answers were compiled and shared. Be it supporting families, offering empathy and support or facilitating a healthy work-life balance, these HR pros shared why they stick with it.
Read more on what motivates HR and benefit leaders (and it's not about the bottom line):
Leaders who find the right balance can eventually reap the benefits of a highly engaged and happy workforce. Today, 65% of U.S. workers are completely happy with their job, according to data from business insights platform Zippia. To identify the organizations getting it right, workplace insight company Comparably recently released its sixth annual list of the companies with the
Workers answered questions like: "Is your work environment positive or negative?"; "Are you satisfied with your benefits?"; "How often do you get a raise?"; and "
See which top-rated companies boast the happiest workers:
