“I’m just a human being trying to make it in a world that is very rapidly losing its understanding of being human.” — John Trudell
In our country, where an abundance of economic opportunities awaits, most of us spend more or less one-third of our lives at work. Over the past century, the job market has been an extremely competitive industry, and it was common for the majority to focus on profit over people. Many people see the workplace as a battlefield, and humanity is something you leave at home.
Nowadays, that kind of culture and work environment no longer works. The addition of younger generations into the workforce and the widespread campaigns for mental health awareness are slowly reshaping the workplace.
Leaders can no longer get away with establishing work cultures that leave the human aspect behind. Otherwise, a high turnover rate results in them having to pay more to hire new employees.
Work-life balance and a focus on holistic well-being at work have been hot topics in the past decade. We spend too much time at work to leave our humanity behind.
That’s why I always urge others to lead with kindness and empathy. I think work-life balance shouldn’t even be a thing—work is an integral part of our everyday lives, and seeing it separately is a result of negative and toxic work cultures in the past.
When people are treated the way they want to be treated—as human beings; with respect, autonomy, and trust—they thrive. They get motivated to work and inspired to be better. A culture that promotes “being human” leads to integrity, overall efficiency and productivity, and a positive working environment that fosters cooperation over competition.
Individuals in the team no longer need to feel like they need to keep their ideas to themselves, for fear of being ignored and mocked or having their superiors steal their ideas and hog the credit.
This kind of cooperation increases overall efficiency when it comes to achieving goals and pushing the company’s mission forward, all while adhering to and being aligned with the company's values—your values, as the leader.
The time of leaving our human sides at home, reserved for family and friends, is over. Take your humanity to the workplace, and watch how the whole team improves and thrives.
Thank you for reading A Brilliant Tribe.
