Leading an Exhausted Workforce

“Please note - I recognize each of us works in different ways. I want to respect your time. While I have sent this email at a time that works for me, I do not expect that you will read, respond, or take action on this outside your normal work hours.”
-Note in signature line from Jamie MacArthur, Global Head of Kincentric

Two weeks ago, I was catching up via email with my former boss and mentor, Jamie MacArthur, who is a powerful role model for many women in the workforce as the female CEO of one of the premier HR Advising firms, when my eyes were drawn to the note I include above which was in the signature line of her email.

In that succinct note, she communicated some powerful messages to the recipient:
-This topic is important to me. She said this by having the message be the same size font as the rest of the email and emphasized the message by italicizing it.
- I care about you
- Diverse work styles are valued.
- How you spend your time is important.
- Your work/life balance matters.
- I acknowledge there is a power dynamic here, and you are not obligated to respond outside of work hours.

As leaders, the behaviors we role model carry so much power for those we lead. Little things mean a lot. It may sound cliché but when it comes to leadership, sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. What is an example of a leadership behavior that has made a big difference for you?

This HBR article has a number of simple examples of behaviors you can role model to bring your humanity front-and-center, just like Jamie’s simple-but-kind note did: Leading an Exhausted Workforce (hbr.org)

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