The story of the Spartans turning back the great Persian army at the “Hot Gates” was captured for ensuing ages by the Greek historian Herodotus and more recently by the movie “The 300.” The bravery of the Spartans and their allies is truly the stuff of legend.
Although Greeks lost the battle at Thermopylae, it is the way that they embraced their duty that captures the concept of organizational élan: a sense of commitment and zeal that binds and makes worthwhile your service both to the organization and those you serve with.
Organizational élan provides the transcendent “why” for one’s work and reinforces the purpose of the organization. It gives members a sense of healthy pride about their contribution, no matter how large or small and no matter their level or role in the organization.
This spirit of engagement and appreciation is fundamental to successful organizations. Whereas an engaged employee will be fully involved in and enthusiastic about their work, thus furthering the organizations mission, a disengaged employee is more like a zombie who stumbles around the office, lowers morale, and cosst the company market share and money.
Research has also shown that an engaged workforce leads to retention of talent, better customer service, stronger individual performance, increased team performance, higher business unit productivity, and greater financial performance.
Some of the drivers of engagement include:
– Involvement in decision making
– The extent to which employees feel able to voice their ideas, and managers listen to these views, and value employees’ contributions
– The opportunities employees have to develop their jobs
– The extent to which the organization is concerned for employees’ health and wellbeing.
– Employee perceptions of job importance
– Employee clarity of job expectations
– Career advancement/improvement opportunities
– Regular feedback and dialogue with boss
– Quality of working relationships with peers, superiors, and subordinates
– Effective Communication
– Well calibrated reward systems
From my experience in the military service, the organizations with the highest élan were the ones in which:
– The purpose of the organization was clear
– The mission was both compelling and fulfilling
– All Airmen could find their place in that mission
– All Airmen fell valued and appreciated for what they did, not just by their chain of command, but by their peers
– Overcoming shared struggle gave rise to strong relationships and bonds of trust, friendship as well as true pride in service
– Where history and tradition, particularly of the organization’s past successes and contributors, were remembered
I was fortunate to have served in several of these organizations and the sense of trust, fulfillment, loyalty, friendship, and pride that one felt was second to none.
That feeling was something that you never wanted to go away, but once it was, you would give anything to either find your way back into a unit that had it or work to create it.
The work of inculcating organizational élan is something that a leader can—and should—strive to create. Although leadership is indispensable, and in many cases decisive in creating organizational élan, ultimately this endeavor is a team sport.
It takes the ongoing commitment of the whole organization to fully achieve it and sustain it.
Worth aspiring to?
Absolutely!
By Joe Scherrer | The Leadership Crucible