The Era of Human-Centered Leadership

In January-February 2022 issue of Forbes, there was a two-page article on organizational well-being that made me reflect deeply on my own journey.

Who would have thought that in just a few years, my career would shift from a strict and impersonal approach —

"I don't want to hear about your personal problems; we are here to work. No sick days or time off, I don’t accept that"—

to a more humanized, empathetic attitude:

"In addition to salary, we offer 100% coverage for your learning, book compensation, full support for your home office, insurance covering mental health support, massages, and even sports equipment. You set your own working hours. No one will monitor you. The key is your results. You don’t even have to come to the office."

And the trust in my team has reached such a level that a colleague once said,

"Olya, I broke up with my boyfriend yesterday. Can I stay home today?"

And I responded calmly, "Of course, you can."

Another leader, aware of the personal challenges I sometimes face, always offers support, encouragement, and inspiration.

This transformation has unfolded in just one decade — 2012 to 2022.

Two years ago, during a neuromanagement program I attended, the speaker discussed the Human to Human (H2H) trend. Today, Forbes Ukraine has published an article on the subject right at the heart of its first issue of the year.

I’ll share the key points from this article and frame them with my own experiences on the subject. My perspective is quite unique, as I’ve been both a user and a project manager of this approach within organizations.

The article highlights five main focus areas, each supported by examples and practices of implementing organizational well-being strategies in different companies. It’s quite a comprehensive piece, and I was pleased to see several familiar names of people I’ve worked with on these topics.

Human to Human (H2H). 

From B2B, B2C, C2B to H2H. This is truly a blessing. After all, the World Health Organization recognized burnout as an official illness in 2018. Business has finally acknowledged the person as a holistic system of expertise, encompassing various kinds of intelligence — IQ, EQ, VQ, and other human manifestations.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI). 

It’s now impossible to ignore the relevance of these principles. If we work with people and acknowledge their identities — especially when we create conditions for their development and expression — then we must also consider their uniqueness, characteristics, and personal traits. This means we do not discriminate; on the contrary, we encourage the expression of difference, value, and respect for diverse viewpoints. We must be open to candidates of various nationalities, minorities, and perspectives. If an employee aspires to a new role, instead of rejecting it with, "We don’t have that," we should explore together how we can develop and apply these competencies in ways that motivate them to stay with the company. If they decide to leave, that’s a different story — but we’ve ensured a positive and loyal exit.

L&D.

• What happens if we invest in developing our people and they leave?

  
  

• What happens if we don’t invest and they stay?

  
  

You’re probably familiar with this quote, but let me tell you — it’s quickly becoming a relic of the past. High-quality, timely training is a must-have for any organization that values its employees. We can no longer fear that they will leave, nor can we fear that they will stay without developing. We have nothing to fear when we build relationships with our employees as partners.

As Reid Hoffman said in The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age (2014), the employer-employee relationship is broken. The old model of guaranteed long-term employment no longer works in a world defined by constant change. Managers must begin thinking of employees as "allies on a tour of duty."

Highly recommend this book — it’s a great overview.

Today, the spotlight is on L&D because we are the primary role models for learning agility. Whether we continue merely responding to requests or become true business partners, aligning organizational competencies with the company’s strategy, is up to us.

Sense. 

Employees and job seekers today need to understand the meaning of their daily work. The years 2020-2022 are often referred to as the Era of the Great Resignation.

According to McKinsey’s research, between April and September 2021, 19 million workers in the US quit their jobs. People are rethinking their experiences and increasingly asking themselves why and for what purpose they work. There’s a powerful trend of leaving relationships that no longer bring joy and fulfillment — whether in personal relationships, friendships, or work. Thanks to the pandemics, wars, and endless battles for power, we’ve become more aware of life’s fleeting nature. We no longer want to look back at our deathbeds and regret that we endured toxic relationships or workplace bullying.

Interestingly, I too found myself in this period of reevaluation, reflecting on my own career.

Happiness. 

How happy are you working with us? Regularly measuring employee happiness, processing this data, and creating action plans is critical to increasing engagement and motivation. At iDeals Careers, this is a key factor in our success. This can only be achieved by creating and nurturing a unique ecosystem of well-being — a place where employees want to stay, grow, and simply live. When we build this environment, employees won’t want to leave after getting an MBA or an expensive certification. There won’t even be a need to discuss a “Gentleman’s Agreement” to make them stay.

Today, my career’s musical composition, still shifting from major to minor, from adagio to legato and moderato, tells the vibrant story of my life. It has led me back to my guiding principles and continues to steer me toward my goals. And today, I know they are truly my goals.

I haven’t just retold the article, but rather shared key insights through the lens of my own expertise. This might be a useful addition to the article or even a standalone set of arguments to present to your CEO if they still don’t see the necessity of implementing an H2H approach in your company.

I’ll humbly and confidently conclude by saying that I am available for coaching, mentoring, or consulting on topics related to business learning, career switching, or career progression.

All examples mentioned here are a compilation of my experiences in different companies.

January 25, 2021.