Emotionally responsive leaders know the value of investing in their people. They recognize that most people at work want the chance to do a variety of things and to take on challenges. They also want and respond to being treated with respect and dignity. But when they are hurting, they cannot bring their intellectual and emotional qualities fully to bear on their performance. They lose focus; they withdraw commitment to their organization by giving less effort, or they leave.
The practice of putting people first ensures that, for any decision and course of action, the leader recognizes that employees make a key difference to the result; they are assets, not expenses. Thus, good leaders ask questions such as: “How might this change affect those who must carry it out or be on the receiving end?” and “How are things going for them now?”
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