Effective Leaders connect regularly at all levels

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 Effective leaders are well-connected across all levels of the organization. Why is this important? Is it a matter of optics or a “feel good” activity? There is much more to being connected. There is a sense of respect Leaders earn because people feel that their leaders are giving them time and they start valuing the Leader.

Many times, what a leader is expecting, and what happens at the ground level are completely different. Connecting at all levels is an opportunity in understanding how the vision and priorities are understood and executed at the ground level. Many leaders believe that it is the job of the people below them to execute. They end up spending most of their time tracking projects’ status. Understanding people’s issues & concerns are left to the yearly survey. Addressing people’s issues will only be a yearly affair.

Quarterly All hands meetings are important and are typically a one-way communication to provide business updates, but can’t serve the purpose to connect with the organization. Regular connection is a good opportunity for people in the organization to learn from their Leaders, and understand Leader’s thought processes. I have personally benefited when leaders higher up on the ladder have reached out to me.

How do you go about connecting with the organisation? The approach depends on the number of people in the organisation. It can be a mix of group and one-on-one meetings. Following are a few of the ways I have seen effective Leaders connect.

·       When I was at Sun Microsystems, its CEO, Scott McNealy had “McNealy Radio” every two weeks. He used this as an opportunity to talk about Sun‘s competitive advantage in the marketplace with specific examples. If there was a challenge & issues in the way people were operating, he shared his perspective on the subject.  “McNealy Radio” helped Employees connect with the Company. His informal style helped people have a connection with him.

·       Few Leaders pick people across all levels and have one-on-one meetings.  They are strategic in picking the right people. They pick people who have good insights/perspectives about the organisation and its challenges. These people are future Leaders who can benefit from the Leader’s interaction

·       One other leader met people in a group setting during the employee anniversary in that quarter. This is a great way to acknowledge people’s contributions.  Having people across various levels and experience within the organisation help in gathering unique perspective.

·       If the organisation size is around 50, Leaders can have skip-level one-on-one meetings quarterly with all the people in the organisation. Nothing beats a one-on-one meeting as this provides an opportunity to connect at a personal level which builds strong relationships. The one-on-one meeting provides an opportunity for people to candidly speak their views.

I strongly believe that regular connections with people will make you a better leader as it gives diverse perspectives. Your leadership style will be grounded in reality. Connecting at all levels gives a good sense of how the organisation is doing. A leader can take proactive measures before issues become big challenges in future. 

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