Refreshing Leadership

Greetings,

Last week I reported on the unusual and refreshing approach to people by an experienced manager. If you remember he was advising another manager and made this statement,

"Your number one asset is your PEOPLE and you must invest in THEM ALL THE TIME.  Develop plans to make them successful and your success will take care of itself." 

I've had several excellent responses from people, so I decided to write a bit more in my bi-monthly newsletter - Energy Matters Today. This is one of the responses I received from the newsletter and one that I especially liked:

"This is one of the most simple principles in running a successufl business, large or small, but the one that seems most difficult for management to assign top level importance. It sounds good when talked about in the board room or with the press but takes real guts and a long-term perspective to implement. It's not just about making employees happy but about letting them self-actualize.  When that happens on a wide basis, the bottom line generally grows exponentially."

My questions to you are, Why is it so hard to treat people with dignity and respect? Does it take more energy to treat them this way than to treat them with disrespect? I always thought it required less energy to treat people with regard than not? 

I'd be very interested in knowing your thoughts on this subject.

Hope you have a great day,

Dr. Bob