Expectations of public and private companies have never been higher and results are harder to achieve, let alone sustain. What used to work 10, even 5 years ago, no longer works, at least not as well or consistently. Talent is infinitely more mobile, employees value purpose and inclusion as much or more than paycheck and are seeking a different relationship with work. They care more about health, balance and satisfaction outside work. These trends will only accelerate with rising generations entering the workforce and increasingly occupying management and leadership positions.

What this all means is that a new way of leading is required. More than simply putting the needs of employees above all else, success in the future will come from leading organizations in a way that promotes achievement of results with a consideration of the human costs. We call this approach Humane Leadership, which guides leaders to focus on six key aspects:

1. Results Focus. Humane Leaders focus on outcomes, hold others accountable, and rigorously manage performance to deliver results. Achievement of objectives is not left to chance or hope.
2. Purpose. Humane leaders create a sense of purpose – that what we are doing matters, has a positive impact on the world – and help employees connect their work to that purpose.
3. Prioritization. Humane Leaders carefully establish and foster alignment on the most important priorities, thoughtfully allocate resources and consciously manage the pace of change.
4. Inclusion & Opportunity. Humane Leaders value each person’s contribution and seek multiple perspectives to increase the quality of decision making. They actively seek to minimize organizational politics through fact-based rewards and promotion decisions.
5. Care / Empathy. Humane Leaders create people-focused cultures where caring, compassion and mutual support are the norm.
6. Development. Humane Leaders invest in developing the capabilities and careers of their employees. They provide candid feedback, coach and mentor consistently.

While easy to understand, these attributes are not easy to execute. Each requires skill and effort plus time and a presence many of us find in short supply. Yet, that’s not a reason to not seek to better ourselves and show up in ways as leaders that creates engagement, motivation, personal connection and fulfillment with employees. The rewards are clear. Talent will flow to organizations that make them feel respected and valued. Innovation thrives when the employees are focused on purpose over politics. Teams collaborate and coordinate to deliver more than the sum of their parts. Results become more consistent, hopefully a little easier.

How can you become more of a Humane Leader?

1. Do a quick self-assessment. Rate yourself on scale of 1-10 on each of the six aspects of Humane Leadership. Where do you need to double down starting tomorrow?
2. Take the Humane Leadership Quotient. You’ll receive a feedback report on how you stack up on each of the dimensions. Takes just 5 minutes to complete.
3. Contact Us to talk about how we work with leaders and teams to put these principles into practice.