Being future-ready is not a luxury: Organizations must act and transform to survive and thrive
The following contribution is from the IMD International Institute for Management Development portal and the authors are Howard Yu, originally from Hong Kong, holds the title of LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD. He leads the Future Readiness Center, founded in 2020 with the support of the LEGO Brand Group, to guide companies through strategic transformation. Recognized globally for his expertise, he was honored in 2023 with the Thinkers50 Strategy Award, in recognition of his significant contributions to management strategy and future readiness. At IMD, Howard leads the Strategy for Future Readiness and Business Growth Strategies programs and Zhike Lei is a Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior. She is an award-winning organizational scholar and an expert in psychological safety, team dynamics, organizational learning, error management, and patient safety. Lei studies how organizations, teams, and employees adapt and learn in complex, time-pressured, consequence-laden environments. As a global management educator, she has taught executives and PhD, DBA, EMBA, and MBA candidates, as well as undergraduates, and has won numerous teaching awards and recognitions.
The most successful future-ready organizations operate on a dual horizon. They continue to act while transforming and exploiting their core business.
They do so by driving efficiency and continuous improvement while exploring new opportunities with equal effort. To succeed on this dual track, leaders must have strategic clarity and promote a business culture that wholeheartedly embraces change.
Leaders and organizations have always had to adapt to changes in technology, society, and the environment.
This challenge is not new; what makes our current era unique is the scale, depth, and speed of these changes and the response that is required of organizations to survive and thrive.
Today, companies must constantly review their strategies
and develop new skills – for individual leaders and their teams, and at the organizational level – to maintain their competitive advantage.
When we interact with leaders from many sectors around the world, a recurring theme is the increasing pressure placed on them to navigate and lead in a context simultaneously characterized by massive change, social and demographic shifts, political upheaval, and revolutionary technological advances, especially in AI (artificial intelligence).
Looking at some of these organizations’ transformation attempts, a pattern emerges: more than half of these strategic programs struggle to meet their objectives.
This is because these efforts are often marred by an internal focus
incrementalism and a reactive culture that, in turn, traps organizations in a cycle of addressing immediate concerns at the expense of shaping their future. As the saying goes, if you’re waist-deep in alligators, it’s easy to forget that the original goal was to clean up the lake.
But how can companies be future-ready?
Future-ready companies simultaneously focus on performance (e.g., delivering results and healthy cash flow) while transforming for the future and financing a future product line. If we draw on examples from global companies, we can see how organizations that are adept at acting while transforming suffer less in tough times and generate higher profits in a positive market environment.
Future-ready organizations are also able to change course faster, and their financial performance outpaces that of their competitors.
Future-readiness refers to a company’s ability to anticipate and adapt to external changes
Retail strategy tests courage, resilience, and agility at Nike
Nike pursued a dual-focus strategy: selling footwear, sportswear, and streetwear as a business-to-business company.
Lacking its own manufacturing plans, it contracted smaller-scale suppliers to make products and sold them wholesale through brick-and-mortar retailers and e-tail platforms globally.
In 2016, it took control of its e-commerce offering and launched Nike.com, where it controlled the look and feel of and relationship with its customer community. With B2B sales still generating the bulk of revenue, it got off to a slow start.
However, by 2020, it had flagship stores in key strategic locations and $5.5 billion worth of e-commerce sales, up $4 billion from 2016.
The Nike.com sales platform was crucial to the company’s success during COVID-19, when lockdowns severely limited sales through traditional retail outlets.
It then produced an app with special functionality in its physical and online stores, thereby creating a community of Nike fans and providing insights from the app’s invaluable sales and behavioural data.
By 2023, Nike’s direct-to-consumer sales through stores and e-commerce had reached more than $20 billion, representing 40% of the company’s total revenue, while it had reduced its wholesale accounts by 50% since 2018.
Moreover, in what was a challenging year, in 2022, Nike maintained greater confidence in the financial market despite a 38% drop in its share price. Competitor Adidas fell 58% over the same period.
Nike’s outperformance and resilience is due to management’s courage in creating an e-commerce channel when its sales through wholesale channels were strong and remained dominant for many years.
Maintaining investment levels in the e-commerce platform required resilience
And, crucially, a shared vision for the dual-track future of the Nike brand and its routes to market that put the trade-offs between channels into a broader context. The company’s ability to shift to online sales during COVID provided resilience to the entire business.
Nike continues to transform as it ramps up partnerships with wholesalers again.
In an investor presentation last year, Daniel Heaf, vice president of Nike Direct, said, “People always ask me: Are you a direct business or a wholesale business? And the truth is, we’ve chosen both.”
Nike ranks first in IMD’s Future Readiness Indicator: Fashion Brands
Rankings for the pharmaceutical, technology, FMCG, automotive, and financial industries are available here.
Leaders must create the conditions for success
Much of future readiness relies on the leadership and team behaviors needed to enable them to develop new capabilities.
These include promoting mutual trust, psychological safety, and diversity of thought, while avoiding human decision bias and groupthink.
Another key element of future readiness is bringing these behaviors together to create and sustain a culture of growth. Thus, individuals continue to build their career paths and the organization.
Yet leaders in civil society and corporations try to tackle problems alone
Perpetuating the stereotype of the “strong leader with all the answers.” Today’s leaders must learn to ask questions and cultivate the art of “humble inquiry” rather than giving orders.
They must frame the work accurately, admit and show their fallibility, invite participation, and respond productively.
“Creating a psychologically safe place can trigger powerful collective problem-solving and build future resilience.”
As an added benefit, leaders who make themselves available and promote clarity and discussion create psychological safety for their team and foster an environment where “dynamic delegation” can flourish.
In practice, this means that team members without formal authority can lead
on specific issues because they have an idea, suggestion, or experience to solve the problem.
This leadership humility—being willing and open enough to cede authority—recognizes that other people may be better qualified to lead, guide, and ultimately find a workable solution that reflects well on everyone.
Failing to Win
Playing to win requires courage and the understanding that failure is part of learning and therefore a critical component of success. There is a new paradigm shift of accepting both success and failure—but not just any failure.
Broadly, there are three types: first, basic, avoidable failure, such as when a faulty component installed in a car causes it to malfunction.
Second, complex failure, where several factors combine in a familiar but complex environment – for example, giving a drug to a patient who has a known allergy, or failing to label a lab sample that is then attributed to the wrong patient, resulting in the patient’s death.
Third, intelligent failure, where taking thoughtful action and intelligent risks results in useful learning opportunities and the ability to move forward smarter and into new territory.
Executive Brainstorming Coaching Session
In fact, companies with first-class cultures are 72% more likely to invest in training their leaders compared to all others (67% vs. 39%).
In this regard, the launch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX spacecraft, which resulted in a “rapid, unscheduled teardown,” provided a wealth of engineering data to identify problems and refine the approach for the next launch.
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said in a speech about how we learn about the laws of nature:
“We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible. Because only in that way do we find progress.”
This kind of “failing forward” is a team sport played in an environment that builds psychological safety (the “care”) while embracing “daring” (the responsibility).
So where innovation is often measured in inches, intelligent failure can move us forward by feet or miles. Key Insights
To support the development of performance and transformation capability, the company needs to develop a culture around new behaviors and attitudes:
Future-ready leaders will create a shared view of how things work over the long term to accommodate trade-offs between performance and transformation.
In this way, they will encourage and embrace healthy debate, while building strong trust and creating synergies.
To be future-ready, a company must scale new capabilities, including developing the necessary leadership and team behaviors.
Future-readiness supports the resilience and growth of the organization and its people. Creating a psychologically safe place can trigger powerful collective problem-solving and build future resilience.
The road to success is paved with smart failures
Failing forward or learning as a team from things that go wrong can accelerate the discovery and implementation of innovative business opportunities for the future.
Why successful organizations need to embrace change
The following contribution is from Andrew May who is the founder of Performance Intelligence and is a globally recognised human performance expert, renowned for his innovative approach to mental skills training, leadership and wellbeing. As founder of Performance Intelligence, Andrew integrates cutting-edge science with practical wisdom to help people and teams reach their full potential.
Success isn’t about doing the same thing every day, it’s about adapting and trying new things
Forbes Business Council member Chad Wachter writes, «if you want different results, you have to embrace change and try new things.» (Read more here: The Importance of Embracing Change in Business)
In my latest «Inside Job» keynote at the BT roadshow, we discuss the power of embracing change from within
We often stick to routines, but true growth comes when we step out of our comfort zones. Change is inevitable; without it, we risk falling behind.
Look at companies like Netflix and Amazon: they changed course to stay ahead. Netflix evolved from DVD rentals to streaming. Amazon expanded from the book business to become a global e-commerce leader. Both thrived because they embraced change.
On the other hand, Blockbuster and Nokia failed to adapt and are now reminders of missed opportunities.
How can you embrace change in your business?
- Start small – change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take baby steps.
- Take risks – experiment, but always have a clear plan.
- Be adaptable – the market changes, so be flexible.
- Keep an open mind – the best ideas often come from unexpected sources.
Change isn’t easy, but it’s essential in today’s complex, fast-paced business world. What change can you embrace today to grow – whether in business, career, relationships or mindset?
A huge thank you to the team at BT (Matthew Rady, Anoushka Heming and Kate Skokan) for putting together an exceptional tour and prioritising the wellbeing of their teams
Leading the Way
The following contribution is from the Ideas and Perspectives portal of Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning and the author is Abbey Lewis
Insights and Perspectives from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning
Learning and Development Professionals Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk
Good leadership? It all starts with trust.
Trust is one of the most vital forms of capital a leader has today
Amid economic turbulence and global uncertainty, people are increasingly turning to their employers and business leaders as the source of truth, rather than their institutions and government officials, according to a new global survey from Harvard Business School’s Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society and the Edelman Trust Institute.
Trust, which can be defined as belief in another person’s abilities, integrity, and character, is often thought of as something that personal relationships are built on, but according to recent research in Harvard Business Review, trust is the foundation of most successful organizations.
The Benefits of a High-Trust Organization
A high-trust organization is one in which employees feel safe to take risks, express themselves freely, and innovate.
When trust is instilled in an organization, tasks are accomplished with less difficulty because people are more likely to collaborate and communicate with each other productively. As a result, outcomes tend to be more successful.
In fact, according to a Harvard Business Review study, people who work in high-trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% more productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout than people who work in low-trust companies.
In contrast, employees in low-trust organizations are often overwhelmed by office politics and infighting.
They are more likely to withhold information and hoard resources because they don’t feel safe sharing them. As a result, decision-making is slower and less effective.
In a time when mistrust seems to be the norm, fostering a high-trust organization has never been more important—and it often starts with leadership.
How leaders build trust
Leaders play a crucial role in building trust within their organizations. Leaders set the tone for the culture and establish norms for behavior.
If leaders don’t focus on trust, communication, collaboration, and innovation will suffer.
So how can leaders build trust?
It starts with creating a safe environment where people feel comfortable speaking up and taking risks.
It means being transparent and authentic. And it requires setting clear expectations and following through on commitments.
Here are some things leaders can do to foster an environment of trust:
Be transparent
Share information openly and candidly. Keep the team informed about what is happening in the company and at the senior leadership level. Don’t withhold resources from employees or make decisions in secret.
Provide regular feedback
Be clear about the team’s vision and team member expectations. Share how employees are progressing in their performance, both positively and constructively.
Encourage open communication
Create an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up and expressing their opinions, even if those opinions differ from those of leadership.
Leaders can follow formal processes, such as anonymous surveys, as well as informal processes, such as asking employees what they think about a workplace issue at regular check-in meetings.
Be authentic
Start by knowing yourself. Leaders become more authentic when they start by knowing who they are, what they value, what they are good at, how emotionally intelligent they are, and how others perceive them.
Show vulnerability
When leaders reveal their mistakes and failures, they are seen as more approachable and less arrogant, but showing vulnerability is not always easy.
Start by sharing lessons from past mistakes or areas for development
Embrace the journey
The path to authenticity can be a tricky one. However, the answer is not to push away difficult emotions or situations that may arise, but to embrace the ups and downs. And, above all, to learn from them and share those learnings with team members.
Be Trustworthy
Follow Your Commitments
To be trustworthy, leaders must ensure that their actions are in line with their words.
Employees will quickly lose faith in a leader if they cannot trust that leader to do what they say.
Establish Expertise
Employees don’t expect their leaders to know everything, but they do need to have a certain level of confidence in their abilities. To build trust, base ideas on solid evidence, suggest industry best practices, and share trends, insights, and resources relevant to the team’s role.
Demonstrate Integrity and Fairness All team members should be able to trust that their leaders will be treated fairly, especially when it comes to growth opportunities.
Offer all team members learning experiences so they can develop their skills, whether through projects, training programs, or other roles in the organization.
Train Leaders to Build Trust
As an organization grows, it’s important to continue investing in leadership development. That way, the next generation of leaders will understand how to build trust within their teams and why it’s so important.
This means giving them the skills and tools they need, such as authentic leadership training, communication training, and DEI training, to name a few.
It also means ensuring that leaders meet regularly with team members to foster open dialogue and build connections.
Ultimately, leaders set the tone for trust within an organization
By investing in leadership training and development, organizations can ensure that this crucial element of success is always front and center, resulting in increased employee engagement, improved team performance, and higher levels of productivity.
How to Achieve Business Success with People-Centered Leadership
The following contribution is from Happy’s portal that accelerates business results by optimizing your people. Happy offers intelligent DISC-based coaching out of the box through tools like Slack, Teams, and Gmail. Happy believes that effective relationships between managers and employees are key to creating healthy, productive, and profitable organizations.
Happy was designed for leaders looking for a scalable solution for people across the organization and is authored by Dr. Cassidy Jenkins, Ph.D. who is a psychologist and professor
Explore how taking a people-centered approach to leadership can drive business innovation and profitability.
In a world where business moves at lightning speed and innovation is the currency of success, one critical element in the fight for profitability and growth is often overlooked: the human factor.
Picture this: You enter the busy ecosystem of a company, where every conversation—from impromptu brainstorming sessions to in-depth performance reviews—has the potential to spark growth and ignite innovation.
In this space, leadership isn’t just about chasing financial goals; it’s about recognizing and harnessing the incredible power of human capital—the collective talents, insights, and energies of the people who make up the company.
Balancing Culture by Prioritizing People and Achieving Goals
For many business leaders, finding the ideal balance between fostering a people-first culture and achieving strategic business goals can feel like navigating a complex maze.
The challenges are significant and the stakes are high. However, the growing body of evidence makes it clear that prioritizing employee engagement and leadership excellence is not just a plus, it is an essential component of business success.
The research paints a clear picture: companies with highly engaged employees not only perform well, they significantly outperform their competitors.
Gallup’s in-depth analysis of the data reveals that teams brimming with engagement see a 21% increase in profitability.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. According to Deloitte’s findings, organizations that lead in leadership development not only meet the requirements, but are 1.5 times more likely to be recognized as the best in their industry.
People-centered leadership focuses on valuing and developing each team member as an individual
Ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met. Imagine a work environment where leaders actively cultivate a culture of trust, empathy, and empowerment.
In such an environment, decision-making is inclusive, feedback flows freely, and employees feel truly valued for their unique contributions.
Not only does this approach boost morale, it also enhances creativity and innovation by leveraging diverse perspectives within the team.
By prioritizing the well-being and professional growth of their employees, leaders can create a more engaged workforce.
Not only does this strategy improve the quality of the workplace, it directly contributes to sustainable business growth and resilience.
In this article, we invite you to adopt a leadership style that goes beyond simply talking about being people-centered. It’s about making this approach a core part of your company’s core operations.
A New Model of Leadership
The time has come for a leadership revolution – a shift to a paradigm where people are not seen simply as cogs in the machine, but as the heart and soul of the company.
It’s about creating a workplace where collaboration, innovation and a shared sense of purpose thrive.
Let’s dive in and explore how to make leadership work for everyone, unleashing the full potential of your team and leading the company towards a brighter, more prosperous future.
Creating a workplace where every employee feels valued and heard may seem like an ambitious goal
Especially when there’s pressure to hit those financial targets. But it’s not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for driving growth.
Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends report highlights this
Revealing that companies that have engaged employees earn 2.5 times more revenue than their less engaged competitors.
Daniel Pink, the brains behind “Drive,” puts it simply: True magic happens when financial worries are removed, allowing everyone to focus on what they do best.
The Power of Open Doors: Fostering Communication and Trust
Imagine a workplace where ideas flow freely and mistakes are seen as stepping stones, not setbacks.
This isn’t fantasy; it’s the foundation of innovation. Google’s Project Aristotle study uncovered a gem of wisdom: Psychological safety is the key to a high-performing team.
In this space, people aren’t afraid to be themselves. Simon Sinek, a sage in the world of leadership, tells us that trust is what transforms a group of people into a team. Creating this environment of trust and openness is where true collaboration and breakthroughs begin.
Leadership That Inspires: Keeping Talent Enthusiastic and Engaged
The link between great leadership and happy employees is undeniable. Gallup research explains it: Managers wield the power to make or break employee engagement, and their actions account for a whopping 70% of the variation in engagement levels.
This is where investment in leadership development pays off, not just in retaining talent but in boosting overall company performance.
Brené Brown, a beacon of leadership wisdom, champions the cause of vulnerability, urging leaders to be open about challenges, thereby paving the way for a culture where honesty and courage thrive.
Innovation and Growth: The Human-Centric Formula
Putting people first is not just the right thing to do, it is a strategic move that drives innovation and profits.
McKinsey & Company’s findings are a testament to this, showing that diversity is not just a buzzword, it is a business advantage, with more diverse companies outperforming their peers in financial terms. Microsoft’s Satya Nadella sums this up perfectly, stating that empathy is not just a soft skill, it is at the core of major innovations, driving those who truly care.
The path to navigating the complexities of modern leadership is not just through charts and spreadsheets
But through a genuine commitment to fostering a workplace where every individual can thrive. By embracing these principles, we as leaders can unleash the full potential of our teams, fostering an environment where innovation, trust and profitability flourish hand in hand.
But how can we achieve this?
How to Empower Your Team: Practical Steps for People-Centric Leadership
The challenge is clear: How can we, as CEOs and senior executives, foster a culture that values the well-being and contributions of every team member while guiding the company toward its strategic goals?
The solutions lie in a series of practical steps that may seem simple and require dedication and a genuine commitment to change.
- Take a transparent approach to goal setting and share successes
Strategy: Implement a system where company goals and progress are transparently shared with all employees.
Celebrate achievements as a collective triumph, making each team member feel valued and part of a bigger picture.
Why it works: According to research from Deloitte, transparent communication of company goals and milestones significantly improves employee engagement. It creates a sense of belonging and purpose, which is crucial to a people-centric workplace.
Action Step: Try holding monthly meetings with all employees to highlight accomplishments, discuss challenges, and share goals.
Use these meetings to recognize individual and team contributions, tying them back to broader company goals.
- Foster Psychological Safety Through Leadership Training
Strategy: Invest in leadership development programs focused on emotional intelligence, empathy, and building psychological safety within teams.
Why It Works: Google’s Project Aristotle underscores the importance of psychological safety for high-performing teams.
Leaders who understand and practice emotional intelligence can create environments where employees feel safe to voice ideas, express concerns, and take risks.
Action Step: Implement leadership workshops that emphasize active listening, empathy, and constructive feedback.
Encourage leaders to hold regular one-on-one meetings with their team members to build trust and open lines of communication.
Leadership workshop on emotional intelligence and team dynamics
- Prioritize personal development and growth opportunities
Strategy: Develop personalized growth plans for each employee, including opportunities for skill development, mentoring, and career progression.
Why it works: According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees would stay longer at a company if it invested in their professional development.
This investment signals to employees that the organization values their growth and sees them as an integral part of its future.
Action Step: Collaborate with employees to identify their career aspirations and learning needs. To support their professional development, offer access to online courses, industry conferences, and internal mentoring programs.
- Use smart technology to keep everyone connected and working together
Strategy: Incorporate advanced tools like Happy to make communication smoother and teamwork stronger, regardless of whether the team is working from the office, from home, or a bit of both.
Why it works: Technology can bridge geographic divides, foster a sense of community, and facilitate the exchange of ideas.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted that embracing technology can improve productivity and innovation while keeping teams connected.
For example, Happy Workstyles reveals valuable insights on how to communicate and collaborate with each employee more effectively, driving meaningful work with less conflict.
Meanwhile, Happy Coach turns that insight into action, offering confidential, personalized coaching powered by behavioral science and generative AI, reviewed and curated by experienced leadership coaches.
Coach uses smart algorithms to automatically deliver these insights to users about the people they frequently interact with at work.
Action Step: Introduce collaborative platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams to keep conversations flowing.
Integrate project management tools like Asana or Trello to keep everyone aligned on projects and goals. Then, take your team’s connectivity and collaboration to the next level by incorporating Happy into your technology stack.
Not only does Happy improve team communication and organizational culture, it also integrates directly with the tools your team uses daily, like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Leading with People in Mind: The Key to Sustained Business Success
Building effective teams is more crucial than ever for organizational performance in the new era of work. Happy improves organizational culture, communication, and manager effectiveness at scale, turning your people into your competitive advantage.
It is designed to help companies like yours make employee happiness a central pillar of success, offering the insights and advice you need to make your team happier and more productive.
By embracing these technologies, business leaders can cultivate a culture that values and actively invests in their people.
This strategy not only supports the achievement of business goals, it creates a foundation for a more resilient, innovative, and profitable company
Remember that the heart of every successful company is its people. By prioritizing their well-being and development with the help of innovative solutions like Happy, you are not only doing good, you are paving the way for unprecedented business success.
People-First Leadership: Why the Best Leaders Put People at the Center of Success
The following contribution is from the Workhuman live portal of which Workhuman Central is the heart and reference hub of the event, featuring immersive exhibits, networking rooms, and spaces for reflection and gratitude. Here we don’t just imagine the future of work, we build it.
The author is Darcy Jacobsen who is a passionate storyteller and advocate for workforce transformation, human connection, and recognition-driven culture. As the author of the Workhuman Live blog, she loves connecting deep research insights with the dynamics of the modern workplace to uncover what truly drives engagement, belonging, and happiness at work. With a background in communications and a master’s degree in medieval history, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, delving into all topics related to organizational psychology and the science of gratitude.
Leadership today is facing a storm of uncertainty. Remote work has completely changed the way we connect with colleagues and teams, technology is advancing faster than we can keep up, and employees expect more from their employers.
Most leaders are looking for guidance on how to be more effective and keep things on track, and one idea that is gaining traction is people-first leadership.
It turns out that when you put people at the top of the list, you create stronger, more resilient organizations.
People-first leadership is something we’ve been talking about at Workhuman for a long time, and especially at our Workhuman Live conference, where speakers like leadership expert Hamza Khan and other well-known thought leaders have been sharing insights for creating a thriving workplace culture centered around employee experience.
This will also be a big part of the discussion at Workhuman Live 2025 in the Rocky Mountains
The question people like Khan will be asking is:
– how can organizations build strength and adaptability by putting people first in an era defined by rapid change?
– what is a people-first leadership style and why does it work?
At its core, people-first leadership is a transformational approach that puts employee well-being and workplace culture at the center of business success.
Also known as human-centered leadership, this style embraces empathy, inclusion, and adaptability over traditional, rigid management methods. And that makes sense.
Hamza Khan is a featured speaker at Workhuman Live 2025 and does a great job of capturing the essence of this philosophy with his call to “rehumanize the workplace.” Hamza advocates for leaders to embrace values like servanthood, innovation, and empathy not as buzzwords, but as practical drivers of success. His philosophy underpins the concept of modern leadership: a system that thrives by aligning people-first values with organizational goals.
Hamza Khan’s next session, Reinventing Leadership: The People-First Playbook for Managing Tomorrow’s Workforce, will delve into how leaders can put these principles into practice to future-proof their organizations. Don’t miss it. His emphasis on practical, human-centered strategies provides a roadmap for navigating today’s dynamic workplace and preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.
What sets this people-centered leadership apart from traditional leadership?
For starters, traditional management often focuses on productivity and results, sometimes at the expense of employee well-being.
In contrast, people-centered leadership (or human-centered leadership) flips this script, recognizing that when employees are recognized, supported, and inspired, performance follows naturally.
7 Benefits of a People-Centered Leadership Approach
Making people the heart of your leadership can be a game-changer for organizations. Especially if the culture you come from is very rigid, hierarchical, or traditional.
When employees feel valued and supported, the ripple effects touch every part of the company, from culture to innovation to the bottom line. And let’s be very clear: happy, engaged employees are better for business.
Here are some of the big wins that come with a people-first leadership approach.
Improving Organizational Culture
Elevating the human at work increases inclusion, builds trust, and unites teams around a shared sense of purpose. When people feel like they belong, morale and collaboration soar.
And that makes sense, right? When employees are confident that their voices matter, they’re more likely to contribute meaningfully. Hamza Khan often says that rehumanizing work starts with creating a culture of respect and belonging—something all leaders should take seriously.
Increased Productivity and Business Success
It’s no secret that employees thrive in a supportive and empowering environment. A more human leadership approach motivates teams to perform at their best while reducing the burnout that can derail even the most dedicated workers. The result? Consistent, high-quality work output—and more innovation.
Stress-free employees are creative employees.
When leaders pay attention to psychological safety, employees can have confidence to share ideas and solve problems in new ways. This is how you prepare business for the future. As Hamza will explore in his session at Workhuman Live, modern leadership isn’t just about management, it’s about inspiration.
Lower employee turnover
Retention is a constant battle for many organizations, but leaders who put people first have an advantage.
By showing employees a clear path to growth and offering empathetic leadership, they create companies where people want to stay. That loyalty saves organizations time and money spent recruiting and training replacements.
Let’s not forget that people-first leadership plays a huge role in whether employees see a future at your company
Hamza Khan talks about this often: leaders who invest in developing their teams reap the rewards in both retention and morale. It’s a win-win situation.
Increased employee engagement
When employees are engaged, they don’t just show up to work — they show up with purpose.
Engaged employees deliver better results, take ownership of their roles, and feel connected to their work. And let’s face it: When people care about what they do, it shows in everything from productivity to customer interactions.
The result? Higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for internal culture and external reputation. It’s a fancy way of saying your people are happy and making your company look good.
Stronger Innovation
A great leader creates an environment where employees are empowered to take risks and share ideas.
By embracing diverse perspectives and encouraging collaboration, they discover new strategies and solutions. In today’s rapidly changing world, innovation is a necessity, not a nice-to-have.
Hamza Khan emphasizes this point in his work: The best leaders recognize that creativity flourishes in a culture of psychological safety. When people trust that their contributions are valued, they are willing to think big—and that’s when great things happen.
Competitive Advantage in the War for Talent
Today’s workforce wants more than a salary. They want to feel valued, supported, and inspired.
An organization that puts people first stands out in the talent market by offering exactly that. And let’s not underestimate the importance of employer branding—it’s your calling card for attracting top talent.
Younger generations, in particular, expect their employers to pay attention to well-being and development. If your organization doesn’t deliver, they’ll look elsewhere. Hamza’s philosophy of leading with empathy is tailor-made for this era of heightened expectations.
Sustainable Business Growth
Here’s the bottom line: Putting people first drives long-term success. Employees who feel cared for deliver exceptional customer service, innovate freely, and adapt to challenges with resilience. That kind of workforce builds a thriving business.
By creating people-first leadership strategies for employee well-being, organizations can achieve sustained growth and create a company where everyone wins. As Hamza will share at Workhuman Live, the key to navigating the future of work is rethinking leadership for a more people-centric era.
5 Key Characteristics of a People-First Leader
We can see the power of this approach, but what does it take to lead with a people-first mindset?
In a nutshell, it means embracing a leadership style that takes into account empathy, adaptability, and a genuine desire to help others thrive. These qualities create the foundation for a workplace where employees are valued and supported.
But let’s break down the 5 key characteristics in a little more detail:
Empathy: The Cornerstone of a People-Led Business Strategy
Empathy is more than just understanding another person’s perspective—it’s about truly listening and responding thoughtfully. For leaders, it means recognizing the unique challenges employees face and creating a workplace where those challenges are addressed with humanity.
And that makes sense. When a leadership team starts with empathy, it builds more trust and creates an environment where people feel seen and heard. Workhuman Live alumni like Adam Grant have long emphasized the connection between empathy and innovation, reminding us that when people trust their leaders, they are empowered to do their best work.
Adaptability: Thriving in a Changing Workplace
The modern world of work is constantly evolving, from hybrid work models to rapidly advancing technology. These leaders embrace change and stay committed to their core values, ensuring employees feel supported no matter what comes their way.
Hamza Khan calls this “self-disruptive leadership” – being willing to rethink old ways of working to meet new demands. And let’s be honest: adaptability is no longer optional. Leaders who can navigate change while keeping their teams engaged will always have the advantage.
Desire to serve others: the foundation of servant leadership
Good leaders are, at heart, servant leaders. They put the needs of their team above their own, creating a culture of empowerment and collaboration. This approach corresponds closely with more cooperative leadership styles, where every voice matters.
Why does leadership that puts people first work?
When leaders see their role as serving others, they inspire loyalty and create a shared sense of purpose.
As Hamza Khan often points out, servant leadership is a critical component of rehumanizing the workplace—it helps employees know they are respected and appreciated.
Work-Life Balance: Leading by Example
A leader who puts people first doesn’t just talk about work-life balance—they model it.
By prioritizing their own well-being, they send a clear message to employees: It’s okay to take care of yourself.
Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global and former Workhuman Live speaker, often says that burnout is not the price of success. Leaders who embrace this mindset foster a culture of sustainability, encouraging rest, mindfulness, and boundaries. That’s leadership with heart.
Professional Development: Creating a Vision for Growth
Leaders and managers who put people first know that investing in employee growth and the well-being of their company’s people is key to long-term success.
When employees see a clear path forward and feel supported in their development, they’re more likely to remain engaged and committed.
As another Workhuman Live speaker, Holly Ransom, highlights, effective coaching builds resilience and empowers employees to take ownership of their career paths. That kind of trust strengthens the bond between leaders and their teams, creating a company where everyone thrives.
10 Remarkable Leaders Who Put People First
It’s easy to talk about reordering priorities at work, but what does that actually look like in practice? These leaders have made employee well-being, development, and success central to their leadership philosophies—and their results speak for themselves.
By developing these leadership skills and creating an inclusive environment, they’ve driven innovation, performance, and sustainable growth. Let’s look in more detail at some standout examples.
- Arianna Huffington
Founder of Thrive Global, former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post
Why she stands out: Arianna Huffington has been a pioneer in advocating for employee well-being, work-life balance, and combating burnout.
Through Thrive Global, she has implemented workplace initiatives focused on mental health and sustainable productivity. Her leadership is a reminder that caring for people is not just about compassion, but also about smart business.
- Richard Branson
Founder of Virgin Group
Why he stands out: Branson lives by the mantra, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business.” His companies are known for building trust, autonomy, and opportunities for growth. By empowering employees, Branson has created a culture that attracts top talent and inspires innovation.
- Satya Nadella
CEO of Microsoft
Why he stands out: When Nadella became CEO, he shifted Microsoft’s culture from internal competition to collaboration. By emphasizing empathy, inclusion, and a growth mindset, he revitalized the organization and demonstrated how more human leadership can drive innovation and organizational strength.
- Mary Barra
CEO of General Motors
Why she stands out: Barra has championed diversity and inclusion at GM, creating a culture of innovation and accountability. By empowering employees at all levels, she has shown that inclusion drives organizational success. Her leadership demonstrates that when people thrive, companies thrive, too.
- Howard Schultz
Former CEO and Chairman of Starbucks
Why He Stands Out: Schultz redefined the employee-employer relationship by offering benefits like health insurance and stock options, even for part-time workers. His philosophy of treating employees as partners exemplifies a culture that drives loyalty and performance.
- Indra Nooyi
Former CEO of PepsiCo
Why He Stands Out: Nooyi’s “Performance with Purpose” initiative seamlessly integrated sustainable business practices with employee engagement. His focus on fostering both professional and personal growth created a workplace where employees felt valued and motivated to succeed.
- Henry Ford
Founder of Ford Motor Company
Why He Stands Out: Ford’s decision to double workers’ wages and shorten the workday in 1914 revolutionized industrial work. His approach to putting people first wasn’t just altruistic — it reduced employee turnover, boosted productivity, and created a loyal workforce, proving that investing in employees pays off.
- Bob Chapman
CEO of Barry-Wehmiller
Why he stands out: Chapman’s philosophy of “Truly Human Leadership” focuses on treating employees like family. He emphasizes creating a culture of care and connection, transforming workplaces into communities where people feel truly valued.
- Angela Ahrendts
Former SVP of Retail at Apple, former CEO of Burberry
Why he stands out: Ahrendts focused on building deep connections with his teams to foster inclusion and empowerment. His leadership at Burberry and Apple revolutionized organizational culture and proved that a people-centric approach can deliver exceptional experiences for both employees and customers.
- Hubert Joly
Former CEO of Best Buy
Why he stands out: Joly’s people-focused leadership turned Best Buy around by aligning company goals with employee aspirations. He prioritized employee well-being and development, proving that when you invest in people, business success follows naturally.
How to Create a People-First Culture in 5 Steps
Creating a people-first leadership culture doesn’t just happen—even if you’re the most empathetic leader around.
It requires deliberate effort, thoughtful systems, and leadership that prioritizes trust, inclusion, and belonging.
Below are five steps to guide leaders in creating workplaces where employees (and companies) can truly thrive.
- Cultivate Transparent Communication
Transparency is the first step in cultivating a people-first leadership culture. When employees are informed and given the opportunity to voice their thoughts, trust grows and collaboration emerges naturally.
Leaders can accomplish this by holding regular all-employee meetings to share updates and celebrate milestones. But communication should be a two-way street—anonymous feedback channels, suggestion boxes, and pulse surveys give employees a safe way to share their perspectives.
Most importantly, leaders must practice active listening by not only acknowledging feedback but also acting on it. When employees see their input being taken seriously, trust flourishes.
- Recognize and Celebrate Contributions
A workplace where contributions are regularly recognized is one where people feel they matter.
Recognition doesn’t have to be grandiose—it can be as simple as a sincere thank you or a public shout-out during a team meeting.
By highlighting milestones, achievements, and anniversaries, leaders help foster a culture of mutual recognition.
Peer-to-peer recognition programs can also create a sense of connection between teams, showing employees that their hard work is noticed and appreciated. It’s surprising how much a little gratitude can help strengthen morale and engagement.
- Prioritize Leadership Development and Training Programs
Strong leaders are the backbone of a people-first culture. Investing in leadership training ensures that managers are equipped with the tools to lead with empathy, adaptability, and inclusion.
Leadership development programs, combined with coaching and mentoring opportunities, help managers grow in their roles while staying aligned with the principles of putting people first.
Continuous learning (through workshops, certifications, or seminars) keeps leaders engaged and ensures they are always ready to meet the changing needs of their teams. Good leadership isn’t static—it evolves with the workplace—and investing in it pays off.
- Offer work-life balance and productivity solutions that put people first
An organization has to be productive, but a people-first workplace understands that employees aren’t just workers—they’re people with lives outside the office.
Leaders set the tone by modeling healthy boundaries and offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or adjustable schedules. Normalizing the use of PTO and mental health days reinforces the message that wellness comes first.
Wellness programs, whether they involve fitness stipends or mindfulness resources, show employees that their overall health is a priority. When employees feel they can balance work with life, they are more engaged, productive, and loyal.
- Empower employees with growth opportunities
Personal and professional development and growth are some of the clearest indicators when hiring that an organization values its employees.
Leaders can empower their teams by creating clear career paths and discussing them openly during one-on-one meetings.
Opportunities for cross-functional projects, skills development, and certifications not only broaden employees’ experience, but also show them a future within the organization. By investing in their development, leaders demonstrate their commitment to long-term success and, in turn, build loyalty and trust.
A better future starts with putting people first
Leadership that puts people first is more than a strict strategy, but rather a leadership approach that strengthens the organization.
When you put your employees ahead of profits, you’re laying the foundation for innovation, engagement, and sustainable growth.
If you’re ready to take the next step on your leadership journey, Workhuman Live 2025 is the place to be. Leaders like Hamza Khan, with his transformative approach to rehumanizing the workplace, will share practical insights on how to align people-first values with organizational success.
At Workhuman Live, you’ll find fresh ideas for centering the human at work. You’ll also connect with a community of like-minded leaders who believe that treating people well is the key to building better businesses and better lives.
Because, in the end, the future of leadership is clear: people first, or nothing. See you at Workhuman Live 2025 in the Rockies!
Why Human-Centered Leadership Is the Future of Growth
The following contribution corresponds to Ryan Estis’ portal that defines itself as empowering individuals and organizations to leverage change as a catalyst for growth and maximize their impact by taking a human-centered approach to sales, leadership, and life.
Author Ryan Estis also says The Ryan Estis Experience transcends the typical keynote presentation, immersing the audience in emotionally resonant storytelling, insightful case studies, and action-oriented content strategically designed to generate meaningful change and connection to something bigger than oneself.
Ryan and his team achieve this by co-creating the experience with you and leveraging ethnography and their proven methodology to identify and exceed your goals.
The world of work has changed forever. Employees have changed, too. Their expectations of what work should look like and how managers should act have evolved. This new reality demands a new approach called human-centered leadership.
This new reality presents a paradox for business leaders
We need to seek growth and get more from our people, but we also need to take care of them and offer new levels of support and development.
More and more leaders are struggling to find the delicate balance between what I call “support and expansion.” Both are needed to build momentum, capture opportunities, and deliver great results.
Unfortunately, employees distrust leadership’s ability to support their growth
Only 23% of employees surveyed by Gallup trust their leaders, and that number is up from a couple of years earlier. That means your efforts to build human connection may backfire. For example, only 48% of workers surveyed by EY believe their leaders’ attempts at empathy are genuine.
It’s clear that leaders need more than empathetic words; they need to demonstrate their commitment through actions and support
This work won’t be easy. However, the reward for companies that successfully embrace human-centered leadership is high-performing teams that can win in the marketplace today and maintain competitive advantage in the future.
Let’s explore what human-centered leadership is, how leaders can develop this capability, and how to put it into practice with their team and embed it in their culture.
What is human-centered leadership?
Human-centered leadership is the practice of prioritizing people’s values, ideas, and experiences as most important to the long-term success of the company.
It’s a transformational approach, a leadership style deeply rooted in the belief that when leaders focus on making a positive impact on the lives of their team members, the organization benefits significantly.
Right now, we’re seeing rapid advances in technology that are disrupting the way we work and communicate. But technology isn’t the enemy of human-centered leadership.
In fact, it can increase our ability to form lasting connections, develop meaningful relationships, and track progress toward results.
Artificial intelligence, for example, is a powerful co-creation engine, but it can’t think for you.
It certainly can’t listen intently to your customers or form the emotional connections that build relationships and create long-term customers.
As humans, we fundamentally have a deep desire to be seen, understood, known, and valued.
And in a world filled with technology, the most complex part of moving an idea or an organization forward is still the people. That’s where human-centered leaders will only become more important: embracing those uniquely human moments even as everything else becomes automated and digitized.
These are just a few of the traits of human-centered leaders, according to our Leadership Competency Model.
Empathy and Support
Human-centered leaders display a strong capacity for empathy, which O.C. Tanner research shows contributes to improved employee satisfaction, belonging, and connection.
These leaders strive to understand each employee’s personal and professional challenges and help them effectively navigate them in alignment with the company’s needs and goals.
Growth and Development
These leaders encourage their teams to acquire new skills, improve their knowledge, and take on new challenges. Only 20% of employees say their leader always takes an active role in helping them realize their full potential, according to Leadership IQ. Human-centered leaders distinguish themselves from the other 80% by prioritizing their people.
Open Communication
Transparency and open lines of communication are hallmarks of human-centered leadership. These leaders create psychological safety at work by encouraging open communication and discussion.
Team members aren’t penalized for speaking up and offering different opinions, even when leaders eventually steer the conversation to a decision everyone can commit to.
Recognition
Celebrate progress, not just results. People want to feel like they have momentum, that they’re contributing to something that’s going in the right direction. The best leaders look for opportunities for recognition at all levels to reinforce what’s going well on a team.
Empowerment
Human-centered leaders empower their teams by delegating meaningful tasks and providing autonomy for decision-making.
This requires giving up work you don’t really need to do so your employees can learn and grow. It’s also about enabling performance—having future-oriented conversations with your people and encouraging them to stretch themselves and take smart risks.
A List of 5 Traits of Human-Centered Leaders
3 Applications of Human-Centered Leadership
Human-centered leadership is all about developing your people and creating lasting business success. Putting this idea into practice in your work environment requires commitments on three levels: yourself, your team, and your company or industry.
Self-Leadership
Identity: Leaders must cultivate self-awareness and question their beliefs to develop humility and confidence. Understanding one’s impact on others is crucial.
Vision: Articulate a clear and compelling vision that serves to inspire and guide the team toward shared goals.
Routines and Rituals: Commit to personal and professional growth by incorporating learning and agility into daily practices. For example, consider keeping a journal to help you develop these habits.
Team Leadership
Co-creation: Foster a collaborative environment where value is created through collective effort. Encourage team members to express their ideas and actively participate in projects.
Contribution: Invest in helping team members maximize their potential by providing opportunities for meaningful work and professional development.
Community: Build a sense of community within the team by promoting connectivity and aligning organizational goals with team members’ needs and desires.
Market Leadership
Purpose: Galvanize the team around a shared purpose that inspires engagement and captures opportunities.
Congruence: Maintain authenticity to inspire trust and confidence, which are catalysts for alignment and effective change management.
Ownership: Encourage team members to take radical responsibility for their results and maintain an agile, future-ready posture.
A List of Eight Ways to Build Human-Centered Teams
8 Ways to Build Human-Centered Teams
Implementing human-centered leadership in teams requires deliberate changes in the way leaders interact with their teams and manage work processes.
Here are some practical steps leaders can take:
Focus on Your Development
Human-centered leaders look beyond themselves. They understand that leadership is not a job, but a responsibility. And part of that responsibility is developing their people.
Be a coach who helps your people take responsibility for their work and seek out new projects, responsibilities, and roles. Invest in helping them reach their full potential and remove barriers that could inhibit success.
Ask yourself questions like:
– Do you know what is most important to your people?
– How often do you have future-oriented conversations with them?
– How are you coaching your people to empower them to get where they need to go?
– What responsibilities do you have that you could put aside?
Go out for coffee
You don’t have to go out for coffee to practice listening with an open, empathetic mind that sees first to understand and then be understood.
The point is to make the time and hold the space to create genuine conversations with your people, away from formality and toward a holistic view of the person who works for you.
You can do this in formal one-on-one meetings, but you can also embrace informal interactions to connect on a personal level and build trust and engagement.
Practice transparency
Transparency in communication is key to human-centered leadership.
Start by making sure employees know and understand the organization’s goals, challenges, and decision-making processes.
But go further: tell them why things are the way they are, whether it’s in regards to finances or how you sell a product or service. This openness helps cultivate a culture of trust and ensures that team members feel valued and informed.
Be upfront and honest at all times
Trust is already fragile or nonexistent for many employees. Don’t put it at risk by avoiding difficult conversations. Addressing any issues immediately, openly and honestly is far better than allowing these issues to fester.
Build Safety
Your people will never feel incentivized to do more in a culture that judges them harshly for their mistakes. Psychological safety leads to higher levels of engagement, innovation and team cohesion, but only 26% of leaders create this environment for their teams.
It’s the greatest correlate for high performance in a team and a prerequisite for smart risk-taking. Take the time to closely inspect whether your team is safe for risk-taking.
Words aren’t enough to build safety
Put this into practice by running lots of “little experiments.” Avoiding failure isn’t the goal. In fact, you will make mistakes.
The goal is to bounce back quickly and accelerate your learning curve in the process. Knowing it’s just a “little experiment” can help you face fear, generate action and quickly course-correct once you’ve gathered feedback and data.
Create a team environment
Creating a strong team culture starts with who you hire and why. Hire for competencies for the job and then find the right people.
Once you have the right people in the room, you need to focus on fostering collaboration and mutual support among team members. Results and hitting your numbers matter, of course, but human-centered teams that pursue the same goals and work for each other rather than against each other are better set up for success.
Ask yourself questions like:
– How can I foster a team-first environment?
– How can I break down silos to drive collaboration across the organization?
Create connections – have fun!
Human-centered leaders celebrate progress to encourage our people to keep going, but also because it’s fun. And that’s okay! Work shouldn’t be a never-ending grind of tasks and responsibilities.
Creating connections and making space for fun and moments of celebration is essential to building a culture and a sense of belonging.
It’s easy to overlook that what matters to employees is the experience – the meaning – they find in their work and with each other. They want to feel like they belong and that they contribute to something meaningful and bigger than themselves. And when you create purpose, you get better morale, results and retention.
Be vulnerable
We’re all vulnerable at some point in our lives. Human-centered leaders aren’t afraid to share their own challenges, uncertainties and failures to inspire their teams to embrace their own vulnerabilities.
This can create a more supportive atmosphere where everyone feels like they can contribute their best without fear of being judged.
How you do it matters. Don’t just tell your feelings. Tell a meaningful story, whether it’s for your employees or your customers.
Stories that open us up and allow us to be vulnerable are treasures for engaging your people and reinforcing the right behaviors. Go ahead: look inside yourself, open your heart, fight your discomfort, and tell a story to your people.
Be decisive
Empathy, transparency, psychological safety, honesty, connection—all of these components set the stage for being decisive in those uncertain, stressful, and uncomfortable moments.
Human-centered leaders weigh the available information, make informed decisions, and stick with their decisions to give their teams confidence even in the most difficult moments.
Human-centered leaders are comfortable being uncomfortable
They push forward despite this uneasiness and take their teams with them. They take smart risks and aren’t afraid of failure because they know it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. Failing to make a decision, on the other hand, prolongs the discomfort. There is no risk, no progress, and no learning.
Build high-performing teams with human-centered leadership
The future of work is human, and the best organizations will embrace human-centered leadership to support their people through whatever disruption comes their way. To succeed in business in the future, we must treat each other with empathy and open communication.
We must support our people’s efforts to continually learn and grow. And we must hold ourselves accountable for developing the expertise and close relationships needed to win and retain customers and keep the competition at bay.
Humans are indispensable to the future of work. Be a people-first leader to move the business forward.
How leaders can help people grow and thrive despite turbulence
The following contribution corresponds to the portal of the specialized online media HRDIRECTOR and the author of the article is Pam Maynard who is the CEO of Avanade, a leading digital innovator in the Microsoft ecosystem and a world leader in business technology solutions.
In times of disruption, putting people first is key. Avanade’s CEO shares insights on how to lead with purpose, foster flexible work environments, and align technology for organizational success.
Headlines and world events make it clear that disruption and uncertainty have followed us into the new year.
Political unrest, economic volatility, and an altered business climate have me asking a question as a business leader: “If continuous change is the norm, how can I ensure our people grow and thrive despite it?”
I don’t have all the answers. But, as we’ve navigated the personal and professional challenges of the past 36 months and as I look back on my 20-plus years as a business leader, I’ve come to one conclusion: Organizations that put their people first are (and will continue to be) best positioned to thrive. What does that look like in practice? Three key ingredients stand out to me:
Thriving companies lead with purpose
A decade before we faced a global pandemic, British-born author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek introduced a radical concept with his TED talk titled “Start with Why.”
His premise was simple: Business leaders always know what their organizations do and how they do it—those are obvious things in the business world. But he argued that those who inspire their employees and their customers also ask why they do it. In other words, what is the purpose of the organization?
I believe that a clearly articulated purpose and vision are the glue that keeps managers and employees focused on a common goal. It has the power to galvanize teams in good times and tough times. It unites people around a single reason for coming to work every day and tells potential candidates who you are and what you stand for.
Having a purpose makes good business sense, too
In fact, Harvard Business Review research shows that purpose-driven companies have more engaged employees and are more profitable than those without.
Because engaged employees are significantly more productive, they enable their companies to outperform the market by 5-7% per year.
Companies that thrive are providing an employee experience centered on flexibility and choice
Research shows that employees are embracing new hybrid work models that provide unprecedented flexibility and choice, built on trust.
As a result, they say they are more productive, engaged and satisfied at work. These new hybrid work models are also proving to be key differentiators for companies looking to attract top talent, seen by most candidates as a must-have when considering a new role.
However, many employers are still not fully convinced of the benefits. They are increasingly concerned that employees will be less productive at a time when economic and political uncertainty has created a new set of business pressures brought on by inflation, limited budgets and very tight labour markets. But after everything we have been through, one thing is clear to me: we cannot and should not go back to the way things were.
Instead, the cornerstone of any employee experience must focus on wellbeing, flexibility and choice over rigid mandates. Flexible schedules and hybrid work models are a critical component, but not the only one.
The employee experience should include a menu of resources and programs so people can choose what works best for them when they need it, whether it’s access to mental health services, a yoga class, or the opportunity to volunteer for a cause they care about.
Companies that thrive use technology to enable, empower, and align people with their purpose
Technology has the potential to help organizations do what matters for their employees and their customers, whether that’s increasing productivity, creating meaningful connection, or fostering collaboration.
But technology must be aligned with the organization’s reason for being and must always put people first.
Companies like AQA, IRC, and Seattle Children’s Hospital are great examples of how their technology investments align with their purpose.
They first asked themselves: How do we do what matters for our employees and our customers? Then they got to work implementing the right technologies to support their goals.
Our own research shows that many organizations are still in the early stages of this important journey, particularly when it comes to mastering remote and hybrid work.
While many agree that technology underpins the employee experience and provides a foundation on which to empower choice, 66% of organizations, for example, have yet to implement a virtualized work environment that provides access to applications and data from anywhere and on any device.
Organizations that quickly shifted to remote work during the pandemic are now turning their attention to broader workplace transformation needs, such as enabling automation and AI to become more efficient and resilient.
But a disturbing technology trend is also on the rise: employee surveillance
The widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work has reduced employers’ visibility into teams and raised questions about productivity.
While there are some industries where employee monitoring is necessary for legal or regulatory reasons (in which case it must be fully disclosed and justified to those under surveillance), I believe that employee surveillance, when not necessary, is a toxic practice that fuels mistrust and completely misses the point of giving employees flexibility and choice.
Companies that unnecessarily micromanage and control their employees’ every move will soon realise that workers won’t stand for it.
The key to our success? It’s all of us
Turbulent times remind us that the world has changed, and we’ve all changed with it.
We must respond by shining a light on what matters, aligning our purpose with the experience our people have when they’re at work. And we must ensure the right technology is in place to support both our purpose and our people, but agile enough to evolve over time.
In a world where profits and economic uncertainty dominate boardroom conversations, we must also prioritise creating workplaces where people truly come first.
Our ability to retain and attract the right talent, to support our clients on their journey into the future, and to thrive in the years ahead depends on it.