5 Powerful Ways to Make Your Company Somewhere Employees Can Truly Thrive

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by Yumna Aysen

 

Organizations tend to paint a picture-perfect organizational culture, but behind the scenes, a different story is depicted. According to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workforce report, it was found that “quiet quitting,” or “employees not going above and beyond at work,” is still prevalent. The report showed that 62% of employees globally are disengaged.

Quiet quitting is usually a result of a toxic work culture and/or burnout. Taking proactive measures is key to foster an environment where employees thrive at every level in the organization.

At the core of all of this lies the power and role of authenticity and empathy in leadership: to create and cultivate a psychologically safe work environment. Authenticity can be perceived differently depending on who we are and our experiences. When inauthenticity is present, it can sometimes be easy to identify. Signs of inauthenticity is when a leader’s behavior is not aligned in different settings; as well as their actions not being in alignment with their words.

So how is it that leaders can create a psychologically safe work culture underpinned by authenticity and empathy? Here are five powerful ways to do so.

1. Encourage a culture of speaking up and discourage a culture of silence

A culture of silence arises when there is a lack of psychological safety. This can be quite dangerous as it results in failure to innovate, higher turnover and lower performance to name a few. A culture of silence is not only one in which people cannot speak up, but one in which people are refusing to intentionally listen to others.

Nurture a culture of speaking up by encouraging the voicing of ideas, asking questions, reporting mistakes and challenging the status quo. Continue reading →

How the CFO became a C-suite mastermind — and what it means for women leaders

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By Lindsey Galloway

 

In Chief’s new series, The New C-Suite, we examine how rapidly-shifting workplace norms and technologies have impacted today’s top corporate power players — and what it means for executive women.

While parity in the C-Suite has been challenging to come by, there’s one traditional role where women are making headway. The Chief Financial Officer role has continued to see women make real gains in representation in recent years.

Women held nearly 19% of CFO positions across Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies in 2023, compared with only 6.3% in 2004, according to executive search firm Crist Kolder. Research suggests women outperform men in the role and generate stronger returns.

Women’s representation is especially important in the CFO role, since the job has long been a key stepping stone to the top. In fact, last year proved to be the best ever for CFOs ascending to the CEO role, with more than 8% of CEOs coming from the financial seat.

That growth in opportunity is likely due to the fact that the CFO role has become much more tightly integrated into the operations and ultimate success of the company. Few C-Suite positions have been more in flux over recent years. In a recent survey of nearly 600 CFOs by consultancy firm Egon Zehnder, 82% said their role has shifted significantly over the past five years.

“The CFO role has expanded from a focus on finance and compliance to include responsibilities as a risk and stakeholder manager, as well as a key strategic decision-maker within the organization,” says Amy Butte, newly appointed CFO at travel and expense management platform Navan. “The office is increasingly viewed as an integrated, proactive leader who is hyper-focused on optimizing systems and increasing efficiencies. The job has evolved from its traditional accounting function to a strategic role that actively evaluates programs and systems to drive growth.” Continue reading →

2 Emotional Intelligence Factors Linked to Higher Salaries

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by Molly Owens

 

We’ve long known that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a crucial asset in the workplace. But which of the five factors that make up EQ are the most valuable for climbing the corporate ladder?

A 2024 global survey of more than 28,000 people who took Truity’s Emotional Intelligence test shows that two specific EQ factors are most correlated with higher salaries and promotion.

Ou research found that as income and the number of people one manages increases, so does their overall EQ score. More specifically, the survey found that high earners and leaders tend to excel in these two key factors of emotional intelligence:

  • Social awareness, or the ability to understand the emotions of others;
  • Emotional control, or the ability to regulate and manage one’s emotions.
The data suggests that those who can most effectively manage their emotions and navigate those of others are more likely to succeed in their careers. This is particularly true for men, who may be expected to suppress their emotions in certain professional settings (more on these gender differences below).  

The Harvard Business Review describes this “one-two punch” of emotional control and self-awareness in this way, “While it’s important to understand and manage your emotions, you also need to know how to read a room…(and) recognize others’ emotions and the dynamics in play within your organization.” 

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Staying Composed Under Pressure: How Leaders Set the Tone in Tough Situations

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by David Finkle

 

When challenges arise, one of the most critical leadership skills is the ability to stay calm and composed. High-pressure situations are inevitable in any business, but how you handle them can set the tone for your entire team. The way you respond during a crisis or unexpected challenge affects not only the immediate outcome but also your team’s confidence in your leadership. This article will explore the importance of composure and provide actionable strategies for maintaining calm in difficult moments.

The Importance of Staying Composed

Pressure can reveal a lot about your leadership style. When things go wrong, whether it’s a missed deadline or an unexpected issue, your team looks to you for guidance. Leaders who stay composed in these moments send a message that challenges are manageable, and that there’s a path forward. On the other hand, leaders who panic or react impulsively create an environment of uncertainty, which can demotivate their team.

Remaining calm is about more than keeping your emotions in check–it’s about maintaining control of the situation. When your team sees you approaching a challenge with clarity, they feel reassured and ready to focus on solutions rather than getting stuck in the problem.

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3 Core Leadership Principles from the Tech Industry

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By Rick Chavez

 

Two worlds of business are colliding. On one side is the world of incumbents, boasting a rich legacy of well-fortified brands and businesses. On the other is the high-velocity world of technology, exemplified by companies like Apple and Microsoft, which has patterns that can be instructive for incumbents. Having lived and worked in both worlds, I discussed three principles that can help business leaders grapple with complexity and uncertainty in my recent TEDxWalden Pond talk, “Thriving In Turbulent Times.”

 1. Understand mega-trends that shape disruption

The true cause of disruption is a convergence of mega-trends. Some are trends in behavior — what is “it” that people want to pull into their lives? Far better to unpack the “jobs to be done,” problems that matter (that is, ones where customers have genuine desire for progress). Then there are societal trends — what will society accept or reject? Often regulation or mounting pressure for regulatory reform will signal societal trends, and technology evolves in concert with those trends. Technology, while triggering broad fascination and investor fervor, should be framed as an enabler, not the main driver, for other forces underway that are tipping the world toward some new normal.

So rather than immediately training attention internally on existing assets and products, companies need to start with a time for observation, for understanding relevant mega-trends, and asking crisp questions about the course and speed of forces at work. Formulating the right questions is much more important than pushing for answers.

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