CEO Knows It All

I was on the invitation list of one of the most awaited CEO SUMMIT. I considered myself lucky as I was going to get an opportunity to hear him. He was as shrewd as a fox. The most iconic CEO. A hard task master. He succeeded his former boss with his distinctive charisma. The transition was difficult for him but with his innovative decisions he led a path of success. A strict boss who focused only to meet deadlines. But still his employees worked for him. As a team, individually in all ways. He was loved by his employees.

The day arrived and the much awaited question arrived too.

"What do you do to retain your employees?" Asked the interviewer.

"Well!!" He answered. "Its pretty simple. I appreciate them and make them feel worthy and important"

"What is Appreciation?" asked the interview to tickle him a bit more. The interviewer thought his answer was generic.

Here is his small monologue :

'Appreciation is an underrated human necessity. Yes it's a necessity of life. Every human craves for being valued. A little pat on the back is powerful. Believe me it works wonders. It makes the employee secured and positive and that changes his perception towards the organization. A praise for job well done, no no, not the awards, but the two words of gratitude: "Thank you " makes the employee feel important. It motivates them to do better and it actually connects them with the organization. You see , 80 percent of the employees resign as they don't feel appreciated.

Don't you feel suddenly elated when someone appreciates you?? A feeling of irrational rush of blood to the head. It can create wonders inside the brain. It's vibration of achievement which boost the Emotional Quotient (EQ). It's high time we should shift our attention from Intelligent Quotient (IQ) to Emotional Quotient (EQ). This is because though the "Corporate" is governed by law, "humans" are always governed by emotions. 

It was an interview which will remain etched in my memory forever.