Recently, in Tumkur, Karnataka, a 27-year-old farmer walked into a Mahindra showroom to buy an SUV. Instead of providing assistance, the store staff doubted his financial status and his ability to make a purchase. He was challenged to arrange money in a short time to prove he could indeed fund this purchase.
Later in the day, the farmer came back to the store with the needed money in cash. He promptly received the attention of the store staff and their assistance in making his purchase.
But the highlight of this story is not how the store staff responded and acted when this farmer served a lesson in not judging people (especially so when they are your customers). It was how Anand Mahindra, the group’s Chairperson, reacted to that incident.
This is what he said:
“Upholding individual dignity is among the core values of the company. Any aberration from this philosophy will be addressed with great urgency.”
The company also apologised to the customer and assured measures were being taken to address the cause of the incident.
That was a clear message from the leader. Not just to the entire company, but to partners, and customers too. The fact that the Chairperson considered the issue serious enough and felt it necessary to clarify to everyone about what the company believes and stands for – that was a great, timely reminder he served people in his company.
As companies grow, the number of touchpoints increases. This requires active management of brand experiences served across those touchpoints. Human errors and technical problems occur, but how the brand behaves in such situations is a direct reflection of the kind of leadership.
The performance and value of a brand have a great dependency on leader communication. This is a deciding factor when it comes to reminding people in the company about the vision, mission and values. Leader communication acts as a beacon keeping employees engaged and focused in the right direction.
impactful Communication is a key trait of effective leaders
A big part of effective leadership is to do with leader communication. The impact is strong and wide.
Impacts Culture
The operating culture at the workplace results in the kind of brand experiences delivered. What is valued, what is given importance, and what gets priority attention is defined by the kind of messages that leaders in the organisation send out.
A leader sets expectations of employees, establishes the right values, and shapes behaviours and actions at the workplace.
Impacts Employee Morale and Engagement
Most in the organisation look up to leaders for direction. Frequent interaction and dialogue open strong lines of communication while establishing trust. The result is an inspired team that delivers great brand experiences.
Drives Organisational Change
The current market environment (VUCA world) needs companies to constantly adapt to change. Leader communication ensures their people are prepared to embrace change and navigate through successfully.
Leaders have the onus of shaping the quality of experiences delivered by their people. Their communication decides how their people perform their roles.
About The Author
Vinod Krishna is a brand storytelling trainer and consultant at DustyPaths.
He brings 3 decades of experience in leading people, projects, and businesses
to forge new paths in brand storytelling.
He is an avid barefoot runner, trekker, theater artist, and photographer.
Connect with him on LinkedIn