Mike Walker Creative

I recently finally sat down with a book I had been wanting to read for a long time called “It’s Your Ship” by former commander of the USS Benfold of the US Navy, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. The book chronicles the leadership techniques he used to connect with the crew of his ship, which at the time he took it over ranked lowest in the Navy, and turn it in to one of the highest rated ships.

As I was reading last night I was struck by the introduction:

“A recent gallup study found that when people leave their companies, 65% of them are actually leaving their managers.”

I also came across this…top 5 reasons a person leaves a company:
#1 - Not being treated with respect or dignity
#2 - Being prevented from making an impact on the company
#3 - Not being listened to
#4 - Not being rewarded with more responsibility
#5 - Monetary reasons

These are great reminders for those of us who are leading teams (especially young teams). While most leaders and managers may not have the ability to hand out large raises or stock options (especially in todays ecomony)items 1-4 can be addressed easily. Get creative about your work environnment. If you are a micromanager…take a step back and see what your team can bring to the table. They will tell you what is important to them, and where you can…give it to them. It’s a funny thing, the more control you give them the more they will likely see you as their leader.