“Leadership is not about being granted the authority to lead; it’s about people who work fro you who want to be led by you.” Mark Zesbaugh, President & CEO Allianz life Insurance
 

So what is the Chief Executive’s role in talent management and driving higher levels of engagement?

• Lead by example and set the tone for talent management throughout the organization. The role of the Chief Executive is to set the tone for the culture. They must consistently demonstrate what is expected by their actions and behavior.  
• Make HR a strategic partner to the business unit heads. Employee engagement is critical to long-term performance. It is the role of the Chief Executive to ensure that the HR function operates as a strategic partner and is able to create, implement and foster a culture that enhances employee engagement.   
• Act as a mentor. Growth and development is a key component of driving employee engagement. The role of a Chief Executive is to mentor his direct reports as well as a few others beyond his inner circle. As a mentor they must be able to candidly identify developmental opportunities for each individual.
• Communicate with candor. Candor is critical for the Chief Executive. They must be able to listen, to tell people what they think, to identify how they can learn from it and to take the appropriate actions to fix it.
• Support a comprehensive leadership development program. It is critical that a company look at the role of each individual, where they are, what they are capable of doing and what they need to do. The company must support the development of individual plans to help identified high potential employees achieve their potential.
• Candidly share information about promotions and succession planning. A key ingredient of employee engagement is career development. People want to know – how do I fit? What can I do to progress? What are my chances for promotion? Far too many companies have lists identifying high potential candidates, but often these individuals don’t know that the lists exist or that they are on them. The reality is – it is critical that the leaders communicate with candor the individuals on these lists and their opportunities for advancement. Why? If people don’t know that they are on these lists, they may go elsewhere.  
• Deal with poor performers. Developing talented Executives is critical to long-term business success. Poor choices can impact growth and the overall culture.
• Be authentic. People trust people who operate with honesty and integrity. Employee engagement is fostered in environments of trust. Without it, reaching full engagement is unlikely.  The Chief Executive must be authentic in every day, in every interaction.