“My boss doesn’t listen to me. I work hard, sometimes have decent ideas, and try to provide critical input, but get nowhere. The truth is I just don’t feel like my boss values me for anything other than supporting his/her need to succeed or bringing attention to himself/herself.” Does this sound familiar? If it doesn’t sound familiar to you, consider yourself fortunate. In organizations, employers struggle with one of the most important principles of effective leadership: Adding value to those who make you successful. It may be that employers are so consumed with their own success or the success of the organization that they fail to really understand this most significant principle. Here are a few tips for leaders who struggle in this area.

First, leaders should understand that adding value to your employees is a great way to increase your equity with your employees. What are some ways to add value?

  • Authentically listen to their ideas.
  • Authentically value their input.
  • Authentically care for them and their families.
  • Authentically provide opportunities for real employee development.
  • Authentically think about your employees more than you do yourself.
  • Authentically stay ahead of your employees so that you can lead.

Second, leaders should understand that adding value to your employees only increases creativity in discussions because they feel more freedom to speak. One of the quickest ways to shut down a discussion is to completely dismiss any idea given by your employees. I find that as employees feel valued and not fearful, then they will offer more creative ideas and actually speak up in discussions. Creativity is the undeniable result of non-threatening discussions.

Third, leaders should understand that adding value to your employees increases their loyalty to the organization. Employees are more likely to affirm the direction of an organization when they have been involved in the process of vision development. I know that too often, undervalued employees spend more time complaining about direction and vision than doing their jobs.

Fourth, leaders should understand that adding value to your employees decreases turnover. Remember, everyone on your team has value. Some may add more value than others. But, everyone has value. When leaders fail to add value to their employees, their employees will move on and add value somewhere else.

Valued employees are happy, stable, contributing, and loyal employees.