Lesson #4: Leadership Means More than Just Being Loud
Lesson #4: Leadership Means More than Just Being Loud
Eastman was not particularly well liked by his employees. He was not a fan of layers of hierarchy, instead preferring people to answer directly to him. He placed his office near the women’s bathroom in order to monitor the frequency with which his female employees took bathroom breaks. He had specific instructions for the way in which janitors were to use their brooms. So, too, did he want his pencils to be sharpened in a specific way by his office clerks. Eastman also did not give out praise very easily.
But while he might not have been a staff favourite, what Eastman can be credited for is running a tight ship. He focused on efficiency and reducing waste at all costs, two things which helped push his company forward. Eastman made sure his factories had the exact amount of emulsion they needed at the exact time they needed them so as not to slow down the process. He was also energy-efficient in making sure lights that were not in use were always turned off.
And, Eastman’s leadership around the Kodak Park should not be mistaken for a lack of regard for his staff. Indeed, Eastman was ahead of his time in extending significant benefits to his workers. He always believed that employees deserved much more from their jobs than just their wages.
To that end, Eastman began implementing a “Wage Dividend” for all of his staff. An innovation for its time, this made sure that each employee would receive a bonus on top of their wages in proportion to the yearly dividend on the company stock. Outsiders questioned Eastman’s policy since it made up a large part of the distribution of the company’s annual profits. But, Eastman was convinced that it was doing more harm than good by way of motivating his workers and building a sense of loyalty. Indeed, he regarded workers’ goodwill as being a far more important factor in a company’s success than any of its innovations or patents.
In 1899, Eastman gave each and every one of his workers a cash bonus with money straight out of his own pocket. In 1919, he also gave nearly one-third of his own company stock, valued at $10 million, to his employees. On top of cash incentives, Eastman also created beefy retirement packages, life insurance, and disability plans. He thought that by ensuring his workers a secure future, they would do the same for his company.
Eastman might have been a tough boss who liked to curse, but he knew what it was to be a leader. It was not just about being strict with keeping people in line. It was also about fostering a sense of democracy and pride within his company, two things that would keep his staff happy and hard at work.
Lesson 4 Leadership Means More than Just Being Loud
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Around the Kodak offices, Eastman was known for one thing. It was not his innovative mind or his drive, nor was it his passion for photography. What Eastman’s staff new about him was that he swore – a lot. Whenever something went wrong, anyone within earshot could hear Eastman’s infamous blue streak.
Eastman was not particularly well liked by his employees. He was not a fan of layers of hierarchy, instead preferring people to answer directly to him. He placed his office near the women’s bathroom in order to monitor the frequency with which his female employees took bathroom breaks. He had specific instructions for the way in which janitors were to use their brooms. So, too, did he want his pencils to be sharpened in a specific way by his office clerks. Eastman also did not give out praise very easily.
But while he might not have been a staff favourite, what Eastman can be credited for is running a tight ship. He focused on efficiency and reducing waste at all costs, two things which helped push his company forward. Eastman made sure his factories had the exact amount of emulsion they needed at the exact time they needed them so as not to slow down the process. He was also energy-efficient in making sure lights that were not in use were always turned off.
And, Eastman’s leadership around the Kodak Park should not be mistaken for a lack of regard for his staff. Indeed, Eastman was ahead of his time in extending significant benefits to his workers. He always believed that employees deserved much more from their jobs than just their wages.
To that end, Eastman began implementing a “Wage Dividend” for all of his staff. An innovation for its time, this made sure that each employee would receive a bonus on top of their wages in proportion to the yearly dividend on the company stock. Outsiders questioned Eastman’s policy since it made up a large part of the distribution of the company’s annual profits. But, Eastman was convinced that it was doing more harm than good by way of motivating his workers and building a sense of loyalty. Indeed, he regarded workers’ goodwill as being a far more important factor in a company’s success than any of its innovations or patents.
In 1899, Eastman gave each and every one of his workers a cash bonus with money straight out of his own pocket. In 1919, he also gave nearly one-third of his own company stock, valued at $10 million, to his employees. On top of cash incentives, Eastman also created beefy retirement packages, life insurance, and disability plans. He thought that by ensuring his workers a secure future, they would do the same for his company.
Eastman might have been a tough boss who liked to curse, but he knew what it was to be a leader. It was not just about being strict with keeping people in line. It was also about fostering a sense of democracy and pride within his company, two things that would keep his staff happy and hard at work.
Lesson 4 Leadership Means More than Just Being Loud
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Dr. John OdaJohn Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
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Michel NerayMichel Neray has over 25 years of experience as an award-winning copywriter, an Internet pioneer, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. An online pioneer, he was one of the first marketing professionals to embrace the Internet by building websites as early as 1993. In 1994, Michel co-authored a book entitled "The Great Crossover: Personal Confidence in the Age of the Microchip", which made it to Jack Canfield's Achiever's Recommended Reading List. Michel founded Portfolios.com in 1995, the world's first online source directory for creative professionals and one of the first websites based on community generated content. Since creating The Essential Message in 2003, Michel has helped thousands of independent professionals and entrepreneurs as well as growing corporations find a better way to differentiate, position and brand themselves. In 2005, his chapter "Everything Starts With A Conversation" was selected as the lead for the book, "Sales Gurus Speak Out" and re-published in 2008 for 'Awakening The Workplace Volume 3'. He is also a co-author of "In the Company of Leaders" (2008) with 40 top North American leadership experts. - Visit Michel Neray's Website |
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