Authentic Leadership: Why Connection Matters

“People buy into the leader, then the vision.” — Leadership Expert John Maxwell

Many people believe that if the cause is good enough, people will automatically follow no matter who is leading. But that’s not always how it works — people who take time to get the relationships right are often the ones who inspire us to follow them and their vision.

According to David Irvine — trusted leadership expert and author — the vision is a good start, but you must care about the people involved at least as much as you care about the cause. If you don’t, people will feel used and will eventually shut down, disengage, resist, or quit.

Irvine says it is increasingly clear that if leaders don’t get the relationships right, nothing else matters.

THRC has partnered with David Irvine to deliver a three-part webinar series this fall that is tailored to our sector. The goal of these cost-effective customized sessions is to deliver practical insights and tools that can be used to create a workplace that has greater resilience, clearer purpose, and foster a sense of belonging.

Here is what he says are three essential components for relationships in leadership:

It’s that simple. You can’t fake it. It’s either there or it isn’t. If people know you care, they’ll support you even if you make mistakes. If they know you don’t care, it won’t end well.

You might get compliance as a boss, but it takes a true leader to get commitment. And you won’t get commitment if people don’t genuinely think you care and support them.

Notice your talk ask/tell ratio with people around you. It’s a good sign when you’re spending at least twice the amount of your time listening than you are talking. People will open up and provide input if you demonstrate your willingness to learn from everyone.

Empathic listening will come easier if you sincerely care about the answers to the questions you ask.

When it comes to leadership, ability matters. But inner qualities matter more. To demonstrate your inner qualities, you need to get comfortable with yourself and get past the gimmicks, fads, and flavours of the month and be real with everyone in your organization.

Join the growing list of employers for our Leadership webinar series this Fall. This is a unique, three-part webinar series led by David Irvine. You can bring your team together for three one-hour sessions, plus 30 minutes of Q and A, all for one group participation fee.

Making our industry better starts with all of us being the best leaders we can be. And, because our event is virtual, there is no participation limit. We’re making it even easier to include more of your team: it’s just $39 per additional location.

When you register before September 30 for all three sessions, you also get access to a bonus session, Psychological Safety: The One Thing That Changes Everything.

Find out more and register here.

Angela Splinter is CEO of Trucking HR Canada, a national, non-profit organization and the trusted source for labour market intelligence and advancing industry-leading HR solutions for our national trucking and logistics workforce. We collaborate, partner, and work with a dynamic national-provincial-territorial network, including industry associations, government, and industry professionals to ensure Canada’s freight transportation network has the skilled workforce required for today and into the future.