Are Leaders Born or Made?

Like me you’ve probably worked for the boss from hell, a bully manager who insults direct reports, belittles their efforts, and blames them for things over which they have no control.

The boss from hell will suck the life and soul out of your people and your organization, stealing dignity and purpose, and replacing those ideals with intimidation and fear.

A recent poll of 800 managers and employees in 17 industries, revealed that after being bullied by a boss, even employees who do NOT consider themselves disengaged, develop or exhibit behaviors that greatly impact their organizations bottom line:    

• 48% intentionally decreased their work effort
• 38% intentionally decreased the quality of their work
• 66% said that their performance declined
• 78% said that their commitment to the organization declined
• 25% admitted to taking their frustration out on customers.

According to a study of Fortune 1,000 firms, managers and executives spend 13% percent of their work time mending employee relationships and otherwise dealing with the aftermath of workplace bullies. That is the equivalent of seven weeks a year.

75% of people who voluntarily leave the company don’t actually quit their job – they quit their bosses. The two key drivers to employee engagement are a good relationship with their direct manager and belief in the senior leadership.

So what does all this mean to you and your organization?

If you permit it, you promote it. If you have manager bullies in your workplace and do not address the problem TODAY – you are promoting their behavior, AND it's costing you in talent and customers.

You must invest in leadership development. Whether you believe leaders are born or made, companies still need to invest in their employees to develop and sustain leadership qualities. Real leadership training involves exposing leaders at all levels to an immersive, results-focused environment guaranteed to help them find better ways to approach real-world problems they face every day.

Create a culture of accountability so that you can fully utilize human potential and sustain an organization in which people can grow and learn while achieving business objectives.

Selecting and developing the right leader, for the right position, at the right time is imperative to your firm’s success. The World Explorer - Essential Leadership Skills in a Diverse Workforce will train and equip your leaders with the skills they need to attract, motivate, and retain top-tier employees in today's multi-generation, multi-culture workplace.

The importance of leadership training can never be underestimated. In business, as in the rest of life, leadership skills are critical NOW more than ever. Learn how Sententia’s leadership program can help you build effective leadership skills.

About the Author:  Monica CornettiFounder and CEO, Sententiawww.SententiaGames.com
www.monicacornetti.com

A gamification speaker and designer, Monica Cornetti is rated as a Top 4 Gamification Guru in the World by UK-Based Leaderboarded. She is the author of the book Totally Awesome Training Activity Guide: Put Gamification to Work for You, writes The Gamification Report blog, and hosts the weekly Gamification Talk Radio program.