What can we do besides scratching the surface of “Human Leadership Principles”? 

From time-to-time studies highlight that it is important for managers to understand that need to lead human beings with human centric approach. Wow… Is it where today’s leadership really stands? I hardly believe that managers are so stupid that they don’t understand this. I do not question the importance to repeat the message (some authors even argue to implement the role of a Chief Repeating Officer in organizations), however it is a self-deception to believe that it is sufficient to make a real change in the behaviours of managers. Most efforts fail mainly because they focus on reinforcing, repackaging the message and training the managers, and only a few of them focus on initiatives that drive real behavioural change. 

Anyway, let me shed a light on a trend that is seriously underestimated, very seldom discussed and taken into consideration. Let’s come back to Gartner: they report that human leadership is characterized by three key components: 

• Authenticity: Leaders act with purpose and enable true self-expression, both for themselves and their teams. This means creating an environment where employees feel safe to express their true selves without fear of judgment. 
• Empathy: Leaders show genuine care, respect, and concern for their employees’ well-being. This involves understanding and addressing the life needs of employees, not just their work needs. 
• Adaptability: Leaders provide flexibility and support that fits the unique needs of their team members. This includes managing tailored, flexible workflows that accommodate the diverse circumstances of employees. 

They have found that organizations that develop human leaders will find that their teams experience less turnover, higher engagement scores, and better overall well-being. Gartner’s research found a significant increase in employee engagement among those who report to human leaders. Highly engaged employees can improve their team’s performance by up to 27%. 

It makes quite a great sense to push managers to employ more of the concept of human leadership. But we fail to recognize how much we overload managers. I am not to say that we do the wrong thing, however we must consider how difficult it is for the managers to change their behaviours. 

On one hand, HR departments often shift responsibilities onto managers, further increasing their workload. Research by the CIPD highlights that HR tasks such as recruitment, absence management, learning and development, and conflict management are frequently devolved to line managers. This devolution can lead to frustration and challenges for managers, who may lack the capacity, training, and support to effectively handle these additional responsibilities. 

Additionally, it’s important to acknowledge that team members also place a significant burden on managers. The demands for flexibility, empathy, and authenticity require managers to constantly adapt and support their teams, which can lead to increased stress and potential burnout. 

Therefore, it’s crucial for organizations to provide managers with the necessary resources and support to manage these challenges effectively. Gartner has identified three best practices for HR to develop more human leaders: 

1. Make the case for change: HR should leverage trusted sources, such as peers and employees, to make the business case for human leadership. Convening a group of impactful leaders who believe in and act on human leadership can help set new leadership expectations for the organization. 
2. Teach positive behaviours: HR should provide leaders with development and training on navigating sensitive situations and creating a psychologically safe environment. This helps leaders exhibit positive behaviours despite fear of scrutiny. 
3. Provide ongoing support: continuous support and reinforcement are crucial for leaders to internalize and practice human leadership behaviours. This includes establishing employee-leader mentorship groups and providing intensive preparation for high-stakes opportunities. 

Gallup reports that great leadership is defined not by authority alone, but by how much the people who follow leaders trust and support them. Keeping all this in mind, we may think of how we can ease the burden on the managers so that to make their behavioural change a bit easier. Following Gartner’s proposal to teach positive behaviours and provide ongoing support to managers gives us a chance to ease the burden on managers by making their team members capable to resolve more and more workplace challenges on their own, and require less support from their direct supervisor. 

Individual contributors are the biggest population in any company, it is unrealistic to provide training, coaching and other developmental tools in such a large scale. However, it might make a good case for an on-the-job behavioural change app. Of course, no app can provide equal impact like any of the initiatives above, but we can achieve much better results with it than “giving almost nothing” to incrementally improve soft skills that help resolve their challenging situations a bit better, on-the-job. 

To ease the burden that employees place on managers, the Act2Manage app offers practical, in-situ solutions for the most frequent workplace dilemmas. The app provides bite-sized, 3–5-minute micro-learning chunks that colleagues can access from their smartphones, tablets, or desktops, allowing them to stay engaged with their daily tasks and routines. Act2Manage supports colleagues in developing their skills and performance through gamification elements that make learning enjoyable and motivating. The app also offers follow-up commitments and reminders to ensure that knowledge is turned into concrete action steps. 

By providing fast and easy access to practical help, Act2Manage empowers employees to solve workplace issues on their own, reducing the pressure on managers and fostering a more collaborative and efficient work environment.