Every leader knows that excellent employees are engaged employees. However, while most organisations place a high value on employee engagement, only 15 percent of employees report that they feel actively engaged in their workplace.

The solution to gaining employee buy-in is not—contrary to popular belief—simply increasing pay or giving out bonuses at the holidays. Although pay raises and bonuses create short-term feelings of satisfaction, they don’t sustain employee engagement over the long term.

The only thing that keeps employees motivated and passionate in the long haul is emotional engagement. Employees want to feel appreciated and recognised, and they want to know they’re collaborating with you to work towards a shared goal they believe in.

In this sub-element, you’ll reflect on your connectedness as a leader. To what extent do you:

• Encourage open communication and frequent collaboration?
• Foster positivity and shared goals in the workplace?
• Emphasise and uphold common values?
• Give and receive respect?
• Empower employees to achieve their objectives?

After thinking through your current approach to connectedness, we’ll formulate strategies to help you lead in a way that is even more connected and aligned with your employees’ needs.