7 Reasons Why Leaders Need to Enjoy Their Work

This is a guest post by Adam Rico. He is a corporate recruiter and career coach. Adam helps people feel fully alive by doing work they love. You can read his blog Work You Enjoy and follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

There’s something your boss probably hasn’t told you.

Odds are they don’t like what they do for a living.

Disengaged Employee

Image by Jason Scragz via Creative Commons

According to a recent Gallup poll, 71% of workers are “disengaged” with their jobs.

This statistic includes all employees, managers, directors, supervisors, CEO’s and anyone who is a leader.

However, imagine if all leaders loved what they do every day.

How might that change an organization?

How might that change the work environment?

How might that change your work and your life?

It can happen.

It starts with you.

The Power of Feeling Important

There’s a power that comes with feeling important. You feel like you can take on the world. When you speak, people will respond. The world is ready and waiting to do your bidding.

Bench with This Is Very Important print

Image by Valerie Everett

Many organizations have failed to realize the importance of making their team members feel like they matter. Or to make the company’s mission their own.

Having an employee show up and do the job they were given is more than most employers can even ask. Yet there’s one company who has created a culture that breeds this feeling.

I was amazed as I read a NY Times article regarding the loyalty of Apple Store workers.

The article discussed the pay of the employees and the culture of the workplace. Denyelle Bruno, a former Macy’s West executive and now an executive with Peet’s Coffee, talked about her experience with Apple.

Why You Must Ask

Many people are self starters. They’re ready to pick up a task and get it done. You love them.

Then there are those that never start. They never seem to do anything.

There’s a simple action that needs to happen.

Question Mark Graffiti

Image by Balil Kamoon

You must ASK them to do a task.

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.
— Jim Rohn

It’s not that they don’t want to be productive or to start a product. Many times it’s they don’t know the task is important. So they let it linger.

Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Kumar of Voto Latino learned this lesson. Their mission is to get Latinos excited to vote.

Rename Yourself

From childhood you’ve been named and renamed.

You were named by your parents. Given nicknames by friends, family, and enemies. Some described how you rocked the socks off of people. Others had far more cynical meanings.

Boat named Electric Chicken

Names have power. They communicate who or what we are. The names you’re called can even affect the way you view yourself.

You know how hard it is to feel like an extreme falcon-headed combat machine when somebody calls you “Chicken Man”?
— Rick Riordan

I think back to my childhood and the names I’ve been called. Some of my names were great.

Joey, son, brother, comic, friend, smarty pants, love… The list goes on.

Other names stung.

Smart aleck, jolly green a**hole (yes, a schoolmate actually called me this because I was tall and jolly), nerd, geek.

How To Encourage Creative Thinking Within Your Organization

Great organizations encourage and promote a culture of creativity. They want their team dreaming up the next iPad or ways of capturing the imagination of their audience.

And yet the question remains: How do you encourage your team to think creatively?

Creative light camera

Image by Cameron Russell

That question is one most companies have trouble answering.

They become worried that it will cut into productivity. Encourage goofing off. Or create havoc.

In reality, that’s not what happens. What really happens is a blockbuster team is formed.

Let’s take Google as an example.

They’re knocking it out of the park with the innovation coming out of the company. You’ve got

That’s not the whole list but you get the idea. Ideas are birthed and brought to life by the creative minds at Google. Creativity is encouraged. It’s part of their culture.