say goodbye to low employee experience: create a culture of care and trust
In today’s fast-paced world, leaders often find themselves caught in a balancing act of meeting organizational goals, driving operational productivity, and managing through the crisis of the moment. Amid these pressures, it's easy to lose sight of the most important asset of all—people.
As a leader, I’ve made my share of mistakes, sometimes daily. However, there’s one thing I’ve always been able to say: my employees know I care about them. I care about them first as human beings, and second as employees. Their lives matter to me beyond the tasks they accomplish or the metrics they meet. It’s the main reason that, despite increasing challenges and complexities, I always maintained exceptionally high employee engagement, and operationally delivery scores. If you care for your team, your team will care for the customer. True leadership isn’t just about managing performance—it’s about fostering a relationship built on care, trust, and genuine commitment to the individual.
In John 10:11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” A good shepherd is one who prioritizes the welfare of his sheep over everything else. He isn’t simply concerned with the wool they produce or their utility to him. He knows each of his sheep by name, cares for their well-being, and is even willing to make personal sacrifices for their safety and care.
Much like the Good Shepherd, leaders must understand that the well-being of their employees transcends their function within the company. Just as a shepherd wouldn’t neglect an injured or lost sheep, leaders must recognize that employees have struggles, emotions, and personal challenges that need attention. If leaders genuinely want to improve the employee experience, they must first care about the employee as a person—someone with dreams, families, and trials—rather than a cog in the organizational machine. Over the last few months I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to me, telling me they felt like a cog in the wheel, a widget. One that could be replaced with an impulsive snap of the fingers. They believe only in their absence would their leaders understand their worth.
One of the foundational elements of caring for people comes from embodying the qualities outlined in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.” These fruits are actually practical tools for living out authentic care in leadership. I believe that when we live out these virtues, we transform our work environments from mundane to sacred. We create a place where employees can thrive. When employees thrive, the work thrives. When the people in your care (not charge) know that you are for them, they will be for you, and you will see your team flourish.
Caring for employees as human beings first requires leaders to invest time and energy into knowing their people. This may involve personal conversations about their lives, being aware of their aspirations and challenges, and offering flexibility and support when they need it most. Leaders who do this well don’t simply react to problems as they arise—they anticipate the needs of their employees and create an environment that promotes well-being.
If you’re a leader who dreads the results of your annual employee experience survey, let me help you shift the culture. Share your survey with me, and together, we’ll create a workplace grounded in care where your team excels. This is not an investment for the sake of employee scores, this is an investment in you! Your leadership capacity will grow, and as you improve, you will become a more respected leader throughout your organization. When you invest in your people as human beings first, the impact will ripple throughout your organization. It’s a promise—with real, transformative results for both you and your team.
