The 'ivory tower' leader: How can HR help them engage?

When it comes to successful leadership and engaging employees, it is important to get the basics right first, say Bettina Pickering and Janet Windeatt.

Senior leaders are good at what they do - that's how they got to where they are today. Over the years, they have honed their particular leadership style and have become comfortable communicating to and 'engaging' employees in a certain way.

In numerous cases, however, that preferred engagement style is more of an institutional one; without directly engaging the wider employee base, they rely heavily on one-way communication using PowerPoint, email or a small group of direct reports.

Employees nowadays respond far better to, and indeed expect, interactive engagement. Staff respect leaders who engage directly with them instead of hiding behind line or other managers, communicating from a perceived ‘ivory tower’.