"Promoting learning requires a spirit of inquiry and openness, patience, and building in a tolerance for error and a framework for forgiveness."
—from The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition by Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner

Welcome to The Leadership Challenge Newsletter!
This monthly publication shares stories, examples, and information about the impact of The Leadership Challenge in all kinds of organizations. As always, please let us know how we are doing, we may even contact you about featuring your ideas and stories in future editions of this newsletter.

What We're Reading
Some books come out at just the right time and Re-Engage: How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times is one of them. 

While many companies have focused on making the numbers, losing sight of the talent, authors Leigh Branham and Mark Hirschfeld offer a fresh look at what employee engagement is, why it matters, and what it takes to really keep talent engaged during tough times.  Based on the authors' research, Re-engage identifies six key drivers that inspire talent and create great places to work.

1. Caring, competent, and engaging senior leaders
2. Effective managers who keep employees aligned and engaged
3. Effective teamwork at all levels
4. Job enrichment and professional growth
5. Valuing employee contributions
6. Concern for employee well-being

Through personal stories and plenty of examples, Re-Engage does an excellent job of showing specifically what engagement and disengagement looks like, sounds like, and feels like. This book asks readers to take a serious look at their organizations—as well as their own personal behaviors—to answer some essential questions, such as:

What strategic practices should my company implement in tough times?
The answer to this one will not come as a surprise for those who have been involved in The Leadership Challenge: "Companies need to set clear, compelling directions that empower each employee," according to Jim and Barry.  Not only does the organization's vision need to be clear, but during tough times communication is essential. Multiple forms of communication are important to reach everyone. Soliciting ideas from all levels in the organization allows all voices to be heard. Companies that survive in tough times know how to appreciate new and fresh ideas.

Why should you worry about keeping workers happy in a time of rising unemployment?
Great companies know intimately that their best talent is also their secret weapon. Re-Engage suggests that organizations and leaders shouldn't be looking for contented workers (cows are contented!). Rather, organizations need engaged workers.  Authors Branham and Hirschfeld present research that confirms that engagement levels impact productivity, customer service, and sales.  Employee engagement leads to economic health. And in these tough times, the economic health of any organization is what determines if the company is in hospice or is coming out of the recovery room!

As the authors remind us, engagement is a two-way street: high levels of engagement come from both employees and the environment that leadership creates.  Focusing on talent will allow companies to keep their best talent, even when the employment market opens up.

What are the leader/manager behaviors that undermine teamwork?
Leaders that don't appreciate their employees, ignore their suggestions, provide inadequate resources, and underutilize the talents and skills of others are creating obstacles to effective team performance.  Those leaders who treat talent as "second class" citizens often put their own self-interest first and avoid accountability. In the end, they are sabotaging the team.  While these behaviors may not be intentional, the impact on productivity and performance is very real in some organizations.

On the other hand, the behaviors that nurture and support teamwork are documented in the authors' research presented here. Re-engage promotes the notion that leaders who work most effectively in building and sustaining the productivity of teams never say I.  And it's not because they have trained themselves not to say I.  Branham and Hirschfeld believe that these effective leaders don't think I.  They think we; they think team.  As an essential and relevant skill in today's environment, teamwork allows organizations to be more flexible, responsive, and competitive. 

The economy will turn around and great talent will always be able to find a job. Re-engage is one resource that offers advice on how to retain the talent you've got during the tough times and sustain their loyalty when times are good.

Valarie Willis is a Certified Master Facilitator of The Leadership Challenge® Workshop and principal of Valarie Willis Consulting, in Loveland, OH, where she focuses on strategic management consulting. She can be reached at val@valariewillisconsulting.com.