Leadership that chimes with employee engagement

What do we want from our leaders? It’s a question many of us ponder and one which London Business School’s Professor of Management Practice in Organisational Behaviour Lynda Gratton has researched in depth.

In her latest column for The Times, Professor Gratton unpicks the difference between managers and leaders and the impact they can have on an employee’s willingness to stay with a company.

Delving into employee engagement data from Culture Amp, Professor Gratton highlights: “No surprise, for those lucky workers who have both a great manager and great leader, engagement is high with 89% of them saying they are committed to staying at their organization. Just as unsurprisingly, those unfortunate to have both a poor manager and a poor leader are looking to leave, with only 22% committed to stay. What is more interesting is when the leader and the manager have different levels of performance… Some employees have great managers, but poor leaders: and with this combination, only 38% are committed to stay. Some have a poor manager, but report they have a good leader. With the combination, 60% are prepared to stay with the company.”

With employees increasingly looking to the future, opportunities for growth, development and career progression are top of mind. However, the Culture Amp survey data shows that from 2020 to 2024, there has been a global decline in employees’ belief that there are good career opportunities in their companies.

According to Professor Gratton, the best leaders understand that in times of economic and political turbulence, the role of leadership is amplified. “They are engaging and motivating their employees by proactively aligning workers’ most crucial question (“Will I grow in this company?”) to the company vision and growth plans. By doing so, they are positioning employees’ interests to the company’s interests. For companies looking to both grow and maintain their best talent, this is a win-win for all.”