By Jon Bostock
People often ask me, “What’s the key to a successful company?” My answer is always the same: the people.
As I’ve grown through the ranks in my career all the way to CEO, I’ve learned how easy it is to get caught up in other important elements of my job—sales, product, strategy—and let others, like HR or managers, focus on company culture. And yet, the minute you lose sight of the people, the other elements don’t matter.
Whether you work at a major corporation or a small business, my advice is the same: everything starts and ends with the people you bring on board and how you treat them. Here are my tips for other business leaders looking to put people and company culture first.
How to be a people-first leader
Hire an entrepreneurial-minded team
With the rapid pace of change, you need people who are always hungry and have a drive to move just as fast as the market. You want people on your team who work passionately as if it were their own company.
As a leader, it’s crucial to stoke that fire with gratitude, recognition and reward, and make sure they all have a voice to contribute ideas, suggestions and strategies. Nothing kills entrepreneurial drive faster than getting shut out of the conversation. If you want your team to work as though they’re personally invested in company success, you have to give them the floor and an opportunity to reap rewards.
See also: Fostering Intrapreneurship Worked for Google—Here's How It Can Make Your Business Successful, Too
Don’t hire “yes” people
You don’t want employees who never push back. There’s this awkward dynamic in some businesses where people tell their managers what they think they want to hear to sugarcoat situations. They agree to everything and put on a happy face, perhaps out of self-promotion and/or preservation. They think, “If I stroke the boss’s ego, I’ll earn that promotion,” or “If I pretend everything’s fine, I won’t get blamed if things aren’t going to plan.” But the fact is, we can always tell when employees are not being transparent.
I am a normal human being and I want to have normal conversations—and that includes challenging my ideas, brainstorming, and hearing other people’s perspectives. If an employee thinks I’m making a bad decision, they should tell me—and tell me why. Surrounding myself with people who only give me a rose-colored-glasses perspective creates an echo chamber that stifles innovation.
Create a people-first culture
The most important ingredient to drive innovation and momentum is culture. If you create a culture that motivates and inspires people, you’ll see a huge impact on growth.
One of the best ways to do that is to celebrate wins: recognize employees for a job well done and show appreciation for their insights and efforts that propel the company forward. But that recognition must be authentic, and a real win, which means you might have to look beyond traditional metrics. Celebrating sales while your infrastructure is crumbling isn’t a win.
We focus on three areas—organizational alignment, systems and process improvements, and profitability, and we tie wins to behaviors that drive those values. For example, each week we highlight an employee on LinkedIn or our internal portal with a shout-out, recognizing the employee's contribution. Recently, we recognized one of our IT staff members who’s responsible for our disaster recovery strategy. That may not sound sexy or something to shout from the rooftops, but it’s essential to our operations and business continuity.
Don’t skimp on mentorship
Cultivating the next crop of leaders is essential for company growth. You can’t expect to sit in this seat forever. Someone must be ready to take the reins when it’s time.
Mentoring promising leaders should be an important part of your role as a leader, and it requires commitment. You can’t blow off those sessions when things get too busy, although it’s certainly easy to be tempted. Think of it as building a growth strategy—you’re never too busy to do that, right? Investing the time in nurturing future leaders shows that you prioritize their growth as well as the company’s.
Build a company that's "powered by people"
I know plenty of other executives who prioritize other aspects of the business over the people. But if you focus on hiring the right team members, creating a healthy workplace environment, and adopting a coaching mentality, you are already one step closer to running a successful business.
My motto is “powered by people,” and when you truly believe in that mindset, the rest will fall into place.
FAQs about the importance of people-first leadership
Why is it important to put people first?
People are at the heart of every business—you are only as good as the people you hire. Business leaders must create a company culture where people feel appreciated.
What are the principles of people-first leadership?
Hiring a team that is passionate, driven, and honest; creating a positive company culture, and prioritizing mentorship. Companies are powered by people—make sure they know you care about them.
How do you put people first at work?
This doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as celebrating them and their accomplishments. Express gratitude for a job well done. Say thank you.
About the Author
Post by: Jon Bostock
Jon Bostock is the CEO at Leaf Home. Leaf Home provides home products such as windows/doors, water filtration, gutter protection (LeafFilter), kitchen/bath, and home safety. He’s a former GE exec, executive at Big Ass Fans, and CEO in residence at Gridiron Capital
Company: Leaf Home
Website:
www.leafhome.com
Connect with me on
LinkedIn and Twitter.
