Lead like Elmo - and ask this question today
Last week, the beloved little red monster, Elmo, popped on social media to ask a simple question: "How is everybody doing?" As you can see in the screenshot above, over 200 million views on Twitter alone (with less than 600k followers) and there were thousands of replies across all the social networks. Some of the responses were humorous. Many were serious. Like:
It's amazing what one simple question can do: How is everybody doing? It's like people were just waiting for someone to open the release valve. Finally... I've been waiting for someone to ask! When is the last time someone asked you how you are doing... and really cared to hear the answer? I'm going to ask you right now: How are you doing? Hit reply if you'd like to share. Your message will come straight to my personal inbox. Seeing how this "blew up" on social media, though, it got me thinking about what it means for those of us in leadership positions... Did you know that only 48 percent of workers in the US reported having confidence in their employers caring about them in 2023? That's according to Aflac's latest WorkForces Report, and the number is down from 56 percent in 2022 and 59 percent in 2021. Remember when, during the pandemic, companies were so focused on taking care of their people? Employee wellbeing was a top priority. In the years since, the numbers say we are getting back to "business as usual"... and not always in the best of ways. That same Aflac report indicates that well over half of employees (57 percent) are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout. So... employees aren't doing so great and they're feeling less and less like their employers care about them. No wonder, then, when a favorite Sesame Street character asks, "How is everybody doing?" the responses come flooding in. As leaders, we should take note. It doesn't take a multi-million-dollar employee wellness initiative to show your people you care. I mean, employee wellness programs are great. Do that. But first, or in addition, don't overlook the power of simply saying: How is everybody doing? How are you doing? This is what I'm talking about on the latest episode of The Better Life Better Business Podcast: "Lead Like Elmo: The Power of Whole-Person Leadership." We all just want to be seen. We all just want to know someone cares. And I want you to know, I care. Let me know how you're doing. Up we go. P.S. By all means, if you find something in this email that speaks to you, please share it with someone! Forward the email. Post on social media. I'm grateful to support you, and I'm grateful for your support in reaching others. Let's work together to help people embrace change and get on the road to coming back better than EVER! Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
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Mastering the Moments: Helping You Reclaim Peace and Power Through Intentional Endings
I’m Shawn Ellis—Resilience Strategist, keynote speaker, and creator of the Choose Your Ending™ method and the 5 C’s of Radical Adaptability. My newsletter, Mastering the Moments, delivers bold, heartfelt insights to help you let go of what’s no longer working—so you can lead with clarity, courage, and purpose in a world that won’t slow down.