A leading people-management expert says that a leadership style has a marked impact on employee health and absenteeism.
The leadership style you adopt in your office could be having an impact on your employees' health according to a leading people-management expert.
James Adonis, an employee engagement and team leadership educator, detailed the scientific evidence that suggests a management style can cause higher rates of employee absenteeism and affect the mental and physical health of employees.
Adonis makes the case for the best way to manage with your employees’ health in mind. Quoting a study of almost 16, 000 people published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Adonis highlights the best management techniques for your employees’ health and well-being.
“The leader needs to provide support, give feedback, develop the competence of employees, and engage in something called ‘co-determination’. That last word reflects leaders who see decision-making as a responsibility they share with their team rather than an action reserved exclusively for the boss.
“It sounds almost elementary that such basic practices could result in positive health outcomes, but they have the combined effect of making employees feel valued and included. Those feelings of esteem, even if empirical evidence didn’t back them up (which it does), would lead any reasonable leader to assume there are physiological benefits that ensue.”
Adonis continues to describe a technique known as ‘job crafting.’ This entails employees giving themselves additional responsibilities, developing new procedures and gives employees a sense of empowerment which often leads to a higher standard of work and an improvement in employee health alongside a reduction in absenteeism.
According to Adonis, leaders that undercut their employees or are overly negative towards them have a detrimental effect on employee health while passive leaders can create too much stress in the work place and have a similarly detrimental effect on staff.
