This is how you become successful as a leader

The Gallup Engagement Index reveals it According to the Gallup Engagement Index 2023, poor leadership costs companies in Germany between 132.6 and 167.2 billion euros. This is an enormous number that should make us think. Why is this the case? Often it is due to complacency. If there are no constant fires and smoke, most leaders do not see the need for action and things just continue as they were. Furthermore, it is also the case that leaders are often not rewarded for good leadership, but for other business metrics. 4 Theses for Change: 1. Success is determined by the time leaders spend with their employees. 2. Only good and intrinsically motivated employees and leaders ensure success. 3. Only a sufficiently large overhead ensures success and relieves leaders from unnecessary administrative tasks. 4. Even leaders need guidance in order to be courageous and decisive. You have the choice! What do you want to be? Pilot or passenger, eagle or duck? Do not look for excuses. That is just feeling comfortable in failure. Those who need excuses talk themselves out of the game. And those who look for blame give away power. These are harsh statements, but take a moment for self-reflection to think about it and initiate improvements. Learning from Others Larry Page from Google once responded to a question about why he spends so much time on personnel issues: "I am criticized for spending 70-80% of my time on personnel issues. Don't I have other tasks? I would like to say at this point, personnel is the task I am paid for." What can we derive from this statement? The relatively trivial answer can already be found in the theses above. Take care of your employees as much as possible and resist the temptation to bury yourself in administrative tasks. This is what you will receive: - Increasing quality and productivity - Decreasing turnover - Higher employee satisfaction - Greater client satisfaction - Your "brand" will rise in esteem. This may sound very trivial, but at its core, this is what your staff wishes for from you. Accessibility, appreciation, recognition, trust, praise, and guidance. This is then again very comprehensive and labor-intensive. Only hire top employees? One goal could be to only employ top performers in a company. This is probably correct, but it usually takes a long time. My approach is to support and develop mid-performers so that they become top performers. In my view, it is essential to quickly part ways with low performers. According to Gallup, the distribution in Germany is as follows: 15% Top performers 70% Mid performers 15% Low performers Top performers are in demand on the market. Give them little reason to look for another employer. The biggest challenge is to work with the 70% mid performers so that they develop. For this, you need a strategy that is implemented by every leader in your company. And you also need a sustainable process that is adhered to. Today, it often looks like leaders spend most of their time on developing the 15% low performers. This is not productive because you can no longer reach these people. The focus should be on the middle. Start now! If you now say that all of this is too complex and is being presented in a very simplified way, then you are not entirely wrong. But take on the challenge. Be active and "act." Find the right balance between your leadership behavior and the selection and development of your employees. Also, take paths that people say have no future. What do you have to lose? Nothing at all! You will only win!