Looking back on my career, I've had many types of managers, some good, others bad. Each had their own style of leadership. Two wonderful contrasting examples come to mind.
Regional Manager #1 was very focused on the health, morale, and wellbeing of his team. I remember at one point when I had a medical issue, he stated "Your only job should be to focus on getting better, we'll get you help in the store, or I'll come down if I need to. Take as much time as you need, and just do what you're able. We won't deduct sick time or vacation time, and we'll continue to pay you as normal... Let me know if there's anything I can do". This manager had a massive influence on my leadership style. He would frequently ask when talking about a difficult situation, or difficult customer "How does that make you feel?". Another one of my favorite mantras that he always repeated was "Everyone deserves kindness". He was, and still is especially kind to me.
I learned several important things from him.
1. Managers who genuinely care and look out for you are unfortunately, exceedingly rare.
2. Taking a moment to evaluate how you feel about a situation, to slow down and digest before reacting can have a positive impact on the outcome.
3. Having a manager like this breeds fierce loyalty to not only him, but also the company as a whole (as he's representing the company and it's "values")
4. There has to be a balance between employee well being, and the financial outlook of the business.
Manager #2 (who replaced manager #1) could not have been more different. With a strong type A personality, and a strong sales background, manager #2 couldn't be concerned with such trivialities as feelings or morale. He was hyper focused on growth and numbers, at the expense of his team. Some of the feedback that was given was "If we don't hit "x" numbers this year, we may have to evaluate whether we keep the store open" or "you need to change exceeds expectations to meets expectations on the employee review... nobody ever gets exceeds expectations". Another one of my favorites was "it doesn't matter what numbers you hit, it'll never be good enough, there's always room for improvement." While sales growth occurred year over year, the customer experience wasn't the same as it once had been. We didn't build the relationships we once used to, and we weren't the happy, chipper team we once were. It felt pointless to try harder, as we knew it "would never be good enough". Many of us (myself included) started looking for a new career. I had many difficult conversations revolving around morale, and turnover. I was fortunate to see a manager who was receptive, and while not perfect, did see the need to make changes, and made a genuine attempt to balance his management style. It wasn't without difficulty (or some turnover), but improvements and adjustments were made. The ability to self reflect, takes feedback, and adjust is instrumental in the process of becoming a better manager.
I bring up these two contrasting styles only to show the value that is added by going above and beyond in looking out for your team. If we expect our team to go above and beyond in their duties, in providing excellent service, in filling in when we need them, isn't it only fair that we, as leaders should go above and beyond for them? We need to find a balance between employee well being, going above and beyond in taking care of our reports, and going beyond the idea of just providing income. We also have an obligation to look out for the well being of the business. I've found these two contrasting ideologies go together hand in hand. If you lead with kindness, empathy, take the time to reflect before reacting, and keep a keen eye (and ear) as to how your team is feeling... You'll see a boost in morale, productivity, and willingness to go the extra mile. It also can be said, that even though we may fall short, the willingness to self evaluate, take criticism, and make adjustments to better meet the needs of our teams can prevent turnover, and build loyalty, not just to the manager, but to the brand.
I would encourage you to take the time to ask your team "how do you feel?". If you keep an open mind, you may gain some valuable insight.
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