Employees often create an “ideal image” of what a leader seems to be. When looking at an organization’s leader, employees tend to judge the book by its cover, because that is easier to digest than what is really “in the pages.”
They ask themselves several questions. Does the leader:
- Care about me?
- Have high standards?
- Offer an appealing vision for the future?
- Seem human—can I relate to them?
To answer these questions, there are “stories” that are passed around the office. Accurate or not, these “moments of candor” shape employees’ perspectives of their leaders.
There was a story of a Haier (Chinese manufacturer) executive who walked through the production facility. When he found minor dents and scratches on appliances that were coming off the manufacturing line, he shut the line down. He instructed employees to take hammers and destroy the imperfect product. This story speaks to the standards this executive has for the quality of the Haier products (Source: HBR).
What image do your employees have of you as a leader?
