As a follow-up to our blog, Talk Amongst Employees, we were glad to read a recent New York Times article about an executive who is putting the concept of leader visibility into practice. General Motors’ first female chief executive, Mary T. Barra, is on a mission to make a comeback for G.M. and making herself visible to employees is one way she’s going about it.
New leaders sometimes focus on their expanded responsibilities as well as internal political pressures, putting face time with employees on the back burner. Barra is taking a powerful leadership communication strategy by making herself visible and approachable.
The Times says of Barra: “She did pledge to be a visible, approachable presence throughout the company — again a contrast to the imperial leaders G.M. has had in the past — holding regular town-hall meetings, smaller get-acquainted sessions and web chats with employees.” Barra also traveled to Europe for the first of many meetings with regional locations.
Her contrasted approach to previous leaders sounds to us like a breath of fresh air. It will be interesting to see how her more personal touch will impact the company’s performance. We strongly believe that when leaders make themselves visible and approachable, it fosters relationships with employees. And when employees feel like they can talk to leaders, even about the small stuff, they tend to feel a connection. And those connections lead to sharing of ideas, issues or concerns. When leaders talk to employees frequently enough, they can quickly identify strengths and weaknesses as well as gaps that need to be addressed. Imagine the possibilities.