Do you manage people at work?
If so, how would you describe your role?
If not, how would you describe the person who manages you?
Ill give you a minute…
Do the words public servant come to mind?
Not unsurprisingly,75% of employeessaid their manager was the most stressful part of their job.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
These efforts are no doubt well-intentioned and, in many cases, long overdue.
But, thats not what Im talking about here.
At best, these managers suck all the oxygen out of the room, so to speak.
At worst, they create emotionally scarring, toxic environments that can destroy lives and entire organizations.
Servant leadershipis probably a term youve seen before while scrolling through your LinkedIn feed.
I understood the servant leadership philosophy at a young age, by watching my mom at work.
She became a doctor because she cared deeply about her community and wanted to see it thrive.
Her work was motivated by human connection and growth, not profit, and people treasured her for it.
How would it affect your overall job and life satisfaction?
If youve got a pulse, it would likely improve your individual and team performance.
It would motivate you to become more engaged in your job and miss fewer days of work.
You would likely find more meaning in your work and feel more fulfilled as a result.
Youd probably never want to leave.
It determined whether or not theyd get the green light, and it was calledlunch.
Would you want to eat lunch with this person every day?
Case in point, after months of interviewing candidates, I was pleasantly surprised when a candidatefinallyanswered my brainteaser.
We found someone else who was both stellar atproblem-solvingandan enjoyable lunchmate.
We thrived at Google because we were committed to sustaining a safe and supportive environment.
More than this, we emphasized collaboration, emotional intelligence, and human connection.
Its time we imbued management with the moral and professional weight it deserves and requires.
Ineffective managers can unintentionally create fear, anger, dysfunction, depression, absenteeism, and high turnover.
Asshole managers have the same effect, intentionally.
What do you think?
Can we make the cultural shift to managers as public servants?
Does the way a company treats its employees affect your willingness to buy their goods or services?
Stephane holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MME from Arts et Metiers Paris-Tech.
