Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 02

22 / Canadian Government Executive // March/April 2020 By Richard Mohammed Millennial Outlook T he Ontario Public Service (OPS) Employee Survey 2011 reported staggering results that raised concerns about OPS leadership practices. In all five categories surveyed, leaders under- performed and received negative feedback from the staff that they lead. The question is not why they performed badly, but what is a good leader and what are the signs or- ganizations should look for that they have good leaders? Leadership roles are highly sought after in any company or corporate environment. A high salary, fancy office, and expensive suit do not make someone a leader or even leadership material. Leadership is a strate- gic competency. Individuals in leadership roles may feel it is sufficient to delegate to their employees, since they are in positions of authority. A respectful leader talks with, rather than down to, their employees. Traits of a good leader Good leaders take time to learn about their staff, legitimizing their authority by earn- ing staff’s respect. They are not consumed by materialism or status but rather by the chance to positively impact and grow their organization and its people. Theo Epstein, the youngest General Manager in Major League Baseball his- tory, exemplifies the traits of a good leader. He revolutionized two of baseball’s most prestigious franchises before the age of 45. In 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series championship in 86 years. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years. Exceptional leaders like Epstein fuel transformational change by consensus, not mandate, and listen more than they talk. This is a philosophy echoed by Silicon Valley icon Steve Jobs, who hired smart people to tell leaders what to do. Mean- while, public servants get treated critically and are held to unrealistic expectations compared to private sector counterparts. A 2017 job satisfaction survey demonstrated that young, highly-qualified professionals were being pushed towards the private sector, free of public scorn. Good leaders lead with actions, not words Effective leaders understand the dynam- ics of working hard to serve employees. They foster personal relationships that build upon their employees’ strengths while mitigating weaknesses without sin- gling out any one’s limitations. Including employees creates an environment where enthusiasm, positive attitudes, and new ideas flourish, improving the chances of employee retention. A 2014 survey concluded that the more employees share in the decisions that di- rectly affect them, the more they are mo- tivated to carry them out. For example, workplace voting on instituting a com- pressed work week empowers employees. It reinforces their commitment to organi- zational values and objectives, resulting in increased workplace productivity, motiva- tion, and morale. A good leader models organizational values. Engaging employees on values is smart and produces high levels of job sat- isfaction. Many people believe that incen- tives such as financial bonuses generate the highest productivity. Research by Alan Cutler (2014) demonstrates that employee motivation does not increase as the re- sult of more money. Employees are much more productive when leaders align with their intrinsic values. Leadership practices influence employee motivation to work towards the leader’s goals. Great leaders support staff success through delegation and self-paced, person- al growth. Assigning staff duties beyond the scope of their roles and functions levers task outcomes and experiential learning. Leadership styles underwritten by soft skills and transparency tend to motivate increased team productivity. Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu fa- mously said, “Good leadership consists of motivating people to their highest levels by offering them opportunities, not obli- gations.” Everyone wants to work for great leaders who champion transparency and unlock their employees’ true potential to proliferate productivity in the workplace. Leadership is a strategic organizational investment. Further research needs to explore how organizations can diversify leadership to create more positive, inclu- sive, and progressive workplaces. Richard Mohammed is bylaw enforcement officer with the city of Brampton. He is a candidate for the Master of Public Poli- cy, Administration and Law at York Uni- versity (richard_m89@yahoo.ca) . Productivity by transparency, not tyranny It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do. – Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple (1996)