Do Your Employees Toast You or Roast You?

The leading indicator for leadership success is the dinner table.

Your employees’ dinner table, to be precise.

During dinner, employees recount the highs and the lows of their day, share their observations, and express their hopes for the future.

And you are a main character in their stories.

Your role as their manager puts you smack at the center of how they experience their day.

So, as they talk about getting new assignments, executing on their deliverables, interacting in meetings, and receiving feedback, guidance and sponsorship, how do they characterize you?

• Do your employees express admiration and respect or frustration and confusion?

• Are they inspired by your vision and energized by your leadership style, or do they feel burned out, disrespected, devalued?

• Does the conversation reinforce their engagement, commitment, and productivity? Or does it motivate them to head for the departure lounge?

Of course, you can’t really know what your employees are saying about you in the privacy of their own homes.

But you can take specific actions to increase the chances that your team – and everyone you interact with at work – will talk about you at their dinner table the way you want to be spoken about at the board room table. 

Define your leadership brand so you are clear on what your objective is. Think about the adjectives you want other people to use and the emotions you want them to express when they talk about you. Need help? William Arruda has a great tool I’ve used to get input for my brand – and it was fun too!

Then, be purposeful in your everyday interactions to connect your intent to your impact. I know, I know, easier said than done. Living your brand as you deal with day-to-day challenges entails being mindful, consistently making good choices, and staying the course.

But it’s so worth it.

Remember, your leadership brand is not just a marketing tool, it's a reflection of who you are and how you lead. Take ownership of it and use it to inspire and motivate your team to achieve greatness – at whatever table they are sitting!

Melissa Janis builds management capabilities to create a workplace that's better for your employees and better for your bottom line.