With continual progress in automation and technology it has becoming increasingly convenient for the people that work for the company to be viewed as a part of the commodities that decorate their offices and cover their desks. In this evolving world of communication hidden behind email and social media, these most important assets of an organization, the people that make it all work, seem to fall in rank behind profit, brand recognition, and competitive corporate growth. Ironically, without a loyal, driven, and hardworking team, none of the other goals and targets of the company can be fully realized.

When we look back at our careers, most of us will find that we were most loyal and fiercely driven for organizational success when we were put first by our managers and employers. When we felt a committed and genuine interest in our career development, personal well-being, and professional success, we were inspired to achieve greatness for all with whom we touched and served – starting first and foremost for our manager and employer that believed in us. In contrast, without this genuine authenticity, success for a company, department, or an individual would wane when leadership focused on a “Me First” approach, ultimately leading to higher attrition, lackluster performance, and a dilution of a sustainable and thriving culture.

It appears this all starts with what Jim Collins famously stated so simply in Good to Great:

Leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where†but with “who.†They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. And they stick with that discipline – first the people, then the direction – no matter how dire the circumstances.

Hire the right people, put them in the right seats, then forever take care of the people that take care of you. A simple and proven concept. However, it is one that requires our continual objectivity to maintain this discipline while we tackle the many decisions we face as leaders in today’s business world.

We can all take a step back and check the mirror. Engage this time-tested and proven concept and your profit, brand recognition, and corporate growth will follow.

Make your employees your #1 priority and they will make your company’s success theirs.

Honor. Loyalty. Collaboration. Community. Dream.