What business leaders can learn from Glastonbury

June saw the return of Glastonbury after a three-year hiatus and what a spectacular comeback it was. With the likes of musical giants Diana Ross and Paul McCartney taking to the stage, it was clear that Glastonbury had recaptured its crown as the world’s most iconic music festival.

But this year saw something different. Not only did Glastonbury present the opportunity for thousands to come together once again to enjoy great music, it also became a political statement for those performing. The world is arguably a very different place to what it was in 2019 – a global pandemic, the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, spiralling inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and most recently, the decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the Roe vs Wade legislation, has created an increasingly challenging and uncertain landscape.

What we saw on stage at Glastonbury was musical leaders use their platform and voice to passionately educate and push for change on subjects they feel deeply connected to.

While the boardroom might not be the same as Pyramid Stage, there are lessons to be learnt for business leaders. The events of the past couple of years have given leaders – and indeed employees – a once in a generation opportunity to rethink the way they work and create workplaces where people feel passionate and connected to what they’re doing.

Chain reaction

While the restrictions of the pandemic may be over and it’s a case of ‘business as usual’ for many, there’s no doubt that the crisis has left its mark. Leaders are facing a talent shortage, while having to meet growing employee demand for more flexible work schedules and a better work-life balance.

Much has been written about the stresses and pressures faced by employees, but leaders have found themselves under equal strain, with one survey revealing that two thirds of managers suffered from burnout over the past year.

However, the strength of an organisation depends heavily upon its leaders and unhappy or stressed leaders create unhappy workplaces, with nearly all employees agreeing that a bad manager makes for a worse work experience.

Much like those at Glastonbury, leaders have a unique stage from which to motivate others but in order to do so, they need to feel inspired themselves. Leaders need to feel a sense of purpose and passion, both on a professional and personal level. The past few years have been undeniably difficult for businesses and it can be all too easy for leaders to feel overwhelmed or deflated and lose sight of why they’re doing what they do. The importance of self-care in reigniting that passion for work should not be underestimated – leaders need to ensure they’re taking adequate time for themselves and have a strong support network who can understand and share in their difficulties and experiences.  

Truly passionate leaders, who love what they do, will naturally create working environments where employees feel more motivated and invested in the success of the business.

All you need is love  

As the Beatles quite rightly sang, “all you need is love” and that’s certainly true of employees’ connection to their work.

While it’s vital that leaders feel passionate about their role, it’s equally important they create workplaces and job roles that allow employees to feel a sense of purpose, connection and joy too. Bored employees with little challenge or excitement will naturally start to feel disengaged and this will have a knock-on impact on office culture, morale and ultimately, retention.

But how many leaders can say their employees feel thoroughly connected to their job? And how many employees can say that they spend at least 20% of their working week doing something they love? This is the point we need to get to if we’re going to create businesses that people truly want to work for.

Before the pandemic, a survey by Qualtrics found employees in the UK recorded average engagement scores of just 45%. Of the nine regions analysed, only Hong Kong and Singapore scored lower than the UK and the pandemic is only likely to have exacerbated the issue. According to Microsoft, as many as 40% of workers plan to switch jobs, with the pandemic causing a seismic shift in attitudes towards work.

If leaders want to win the war for talent and ensure they keep their people, they need to ask themselves three key questions: Are my employees excited to come to work? Do I give them a chance to use their strengths and passions? What more can I do to ensure they are given the time and space to do something they’re good at and love?

Take Google as an example. The software giant allows its employees to spend at least 20% of their time exploring or working on projects that aren’t directly related to their role but help to inspire them to be more creative and innovative. While this might not be feasible for every company, the idea behind it is pretty simple and one that every leader should look to nurture – find something that excites your employees and gives them a reason to come to work.

If organisations think about what their employees care about and link activities and tasks to those passions and strengths, their teams will benefit from higher engagement, motivation and ultimately productivity.

It also builds trust between the business and its people. When people love the work they do, it triggers a chemical reaction in the brain which brings feelings of joy and happiness and makes them more receptive to others.

Lululemon is a good example of a company that takes time to understand its employees’ needs. During its onboarding process, new employees are asked to set goals, both personal and professional. The focus on understanding what makes someone tick and what their ambitions are can help businesses mould roles and create tasks that will appeal to individual employees. Not only will this enable employees to forge a deeper connection to their work but it also speaks volumes about a company’s desire to help their employees develop and grow as people, even if it doesn’t have any immediate, tangible value to the business.

Regular, informal one-to-ones with employees, asking what they’ve enjoyed doing that week or month, what they’ve found challenging and what more they would like to be doing can give managers a great insight into what will help make their teams feel a deeper connection. The employee experience should never be homogenized; employees are individuals and employers should recognise and champion this individuality. Of course, that’s not to say businesses should not have certain frameworks, policies or feedback in place, but leaders need to be careful not to be too prescriptive and while creating equitable, fair workplaces, there should also be ample opportunity for people to express their individuality and be rewarded for that.

Ultimately, providing the space for employees to harness their strengths and loves will create a melting pot of different ideas and approaches and help to create more innovative, productive and successful businesses.  

“According to Microsoft, as many as 40% of workers plan to switch jobs, with the pandemic causing a seismic shift in attitudes towards work. ”