What role does leadership play in shaping a positive employee experience? Share an example of effective leadership in action.

Question

Effective leadership is the cornerstone of a positive employee experience, as demonstrated by real-world examples from industry experts. This article explores various strategies that leaders can employ to enhance workplace culture, foster engagement, and drive organizational success. From shaping company culture through behavior to empowering teams and prioritizing mentorship, discover practical insights that can transform your leadership approach and elevate your team's experience.

Miriam Groom · Answer

Leadership is the cornerstone of the employee experience. While systems, policies, and perks all play their part, it's leadership—through actions, decisions, and communication—that ultimately defines how employees feel about their workplace. Positive employee experience doesn't come from free coffee or flexible hours alone; it comes from feeling seen, supported, trusted, and inspired. And those outcomes are made—or broken—by leadership.
At its core, effective leadership shapes culture through behavior. Employees watch how their leaders respond to challenges, how they treat people, and how consistent they are in upholding the values they claim to stand by. When leaders prioritize transparency, psychological safety, and accountability, employees feel secure enough to bring their full selves to work. 
In shaping employee experience, leadership must focus on active listening, authentic recognition, and timely decision-making. It's not just about being liked; it's about showing employees that their contributions matter, their concerns are valid, and their growth is a priority. Leaders who communicate openly, model empathy, and create space for feedback build high-engagement cultures where people feel respected and motivated.
A strong example of this is the approach taken by the leadership team at Admiral Group, a UK-based insurance company regularly ranked among the top employers. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Admiral's leadership responded with clarity and compassion. They communicated quickly and honestly about the company's outlook, transitioned thousands of employees to remote work almost overnight, and checked in consistently on wellbeing.
Most notably, Admiral refunded £110 million to car insurance customers due to reduced traffic—and immediately followed that with a £1,000 bonus to all staff as a thank-you for their resilience and hard work. This gesture wasn't just generous—it reflected the company's values of fairness and trust. It told employees: you are valued, and we succeed together. Unsurprisingly, their engagement and retention remained high, even amid a global crisis.
Leadership is not a backdrop to employee experience—it's the engine. Every policy, every initiative, and every cultural goal is filtered through the behavior and integrity of leaders. When leaders lead with empathy, fairness, and purpose, employees respond with loyalty, performance, and passion.

Gearl Loden · Answer

In today's evolving workplace, leadership isn't just about performance metrics; it's about shaping the culture employees work in every day. The most effective leaders act as Chief Cultural Officers, intentionally creating environments where people feel valued, heard, and empowered to grow. At the heart of a thriving employee experience is leadership that is proactive, present, and people-centered.
A strong employee experience starts with hiring for cultural alignment, not just credentials. Leaders who prioritize values-fit during recruitment and onboarding create a foundation of trust and clarity. They don't just share the mission once; they embed it through consistent communication across channels: all-hands meetings, team huddles, newsletters, and one-on-ones. Repetition helps to drive alignment.
But great communication flows both ways. Modern leaders open multiple pathways for feedback: pulse surveys, stay interviews, anonymous suggestion boxes, and quick-check digital tools. These aren't bureaucratic exercises; they're invitations to shape the culture together.
From there, the best leaders borrow from continuous improvement frameworks. Through Gemba walks (visiting where the real work happens) and quality circles, they tap into frontline wisdom. These intentional habits foster ownership, inclusion, and innovation.
Companies with strong cultures saw a 4x increase in revenue growth (Forbes/Bain & Co), and organizations with highly engaged employees outperform their peers by 147% in earnings per share (Gallup). Having a healthy culture is a growth strategy.
Companies like Salesforce, Patagonia, and Adobe demonstrate this well. Their leaders invest in transparent feedback, inclusive benefits, and real-time recognition. They don't just post values; they operationalize them.
Equally important is personalized recognition and holistic wellness. Leaders who listen tailor perks, appreciation, and support to what matters to their employees, whether it's flexible schedules, on-site clinics and fitness centers, or mental health resources like EAPs, coaching, and counseling. Wellness programs that go beyond traditional benefits and normalize conversations around well-being help employees bring their full selves to work.
Because at the end of the day, culture is the sum of what leaders consistently say, do, and reinforce. When leaders show up with curiosity, clarity, and care, they help their employees to thrive.

Garrett Lehman · Answer

Leadership is the cornerstone of a positive employee experience. It defines the workplace culture, sets expectations, and influences how valued and supported employees feel. Effective leaders build trust through transparency, inspire purpose through vision, and foster engagement through consistent recognition and support. When leadership aligns people, purpose, and performance, it creates an environment where employees thrive—not just perform.
For example, during the restructuring of a mid-sized digital services company, the leadership team prioritized open communication. Instead of top-down decisions, they involved department heads in planning, held weekly town halls, and launched anonymous feedback channels. This approach not only reduced uncertainty but also empowered employees to shape their roles amid change. As a result, retention improved by 20%, and productivity remained stable despite organizational shifts.
Key Tip: Great leadership isn't about control—it's about clarity, inclusion, and trust that empowers teams to succeed together.

Andy Danec · Answer

Leadership sets the tone. Period. I've witnessed it firsthand — if leadership is disconnected, cold, or inconsistent, the entire energy of the workplace becomes flat. However, if leadership is present, accountable, and human, people respond differently. This is especially true in mental health and addiction recovery work, where the stakes are high and the emotional toll is significant.
One moment that remains vivid in my memory: a few years ago, one of our counselors lost a client to relapse. It affected her deeply — you could see it in her posture, her energy, everything. I canceled my afternoon appointments, pulled her aside, and we went for a walk. There was no clipboard, no HR involvement. We were just two people in this fight together. We didn't discuss protocols or policies. Instead, we talked about pain, purpose, and how challenging this field can be at times.
That single gesture — listening, being present, treating her like a human being — had a ripple effect throughout the team. Word spread quickly. Morale didn't decline; in fact, it strengthened. Staff realized I wasn't just in the office; I was in the trenches with them.
Real leadership is about presence. It's not about flashy emails or motivational slogans on the wall. It's about showing up when it's uncomfortable. It's asking "How are you?" and genuinely meaning it. It's admitting when you don't have all the answers but remaining steady nonetheless.
The best employee experience doesn't come from perks — it comes from leadership that truly cares.

Jonathan Anderson · Answer

A few years ago, we experienced a summer where our Phoenix team was overwhelmed—scorpions were appearing everywhere, and the phones wouldn't stop ringing. Morale began to decline. Instead of pushing harder, I decided to give each technician a handwritten note at the end of their week, highlighting something specific they had done well. One technician, Sam, had gone above and beyond to help a nervous homeowner who was recovering from surgery—he spent extra time sealing up her patio even though it wasn't part of the assigned task. I mentioned this in his note.
The following Monday, I noticed Sam had pinned the note inside his truck. Several others had done the same. That small gesture—simply recognizing their work in a meaningful way—shifted the mood that week. Leadership doesn't always involve speeches or strategy. Sometimes it's about slowing down just enough to let your team know you truly see them. That's what creates a culture in which people want to stay.

Arvind Rongala · Answer

Leadership sets the tone for every aspect of the employee experience—culture, trust, communication, and growth. When leaders genuinely listen, empower teams, and align individual purpose with organizational vision, people feel valued and motivated. One powerful example involved a large tech client undergoing rapid transformation. Their VP of Engineering invited employees to co-design the upskilling roadmap, giving them direct input on what skills mattered most. This not only increased training participation by over 40% but also created a culture of shared ownership and transparency. Effective leadership isn't about control—it's about enabling people to thrive.

Gianluca Ferruggia · Answer

Often, when we think of leadership, we think of a title or a function. However, with regard to employee experience, leadership is more like the emotional thermostat of the team. Employees look to their leaders to see whether they interact with others in a stressed and anxious manner, with rigidity, or if they are able to be human, calm, and reflective as they respond to stress and failure. If everyone's leader is tense, uncertain, or unpredictable, employees will follow the leader's emotional example and become tense and anxious. Conversely, if their leader is calm, clear, and human, the experience of work is entirely new (even if the workloads did not change).
One of the best examples I have observed was not a case of leadership fixing a problem; it was a case of leadership avoiding a problem. At the beginning of my current position, we had just missed a deadline on a critical project, with all expectations from other leadership that the manager would be "frustrated." Instead of reacting and communicating his anxiety, my then-manager invited all the team members to come together and said, "Let's talk about what the blockers were so we do not make the same mistakes again. No blame, we are building muscle!" That one sentence completely changed the energy in the room. There was no panic, no finger-pointing, and the team left feeling trusted (not judged). For their next sprint, we finished early.
Great leadership is not always about the big vision; sometimes it's about the small moments handled well, creating safety, staying human, and not micromanaging when things start to unravel. That's what people remember, that's what makes them want to stay. His approach still resonates with me as the current GM.
Employees remember how they felt at times of uncertainty. Leaders who know this create cultures where people don't just survive, they grow.

Dr. Sam Zand · Answer

In my experience, leadership sets the emotional tone of a workplace more than any policy or perk ever could. When leaders model presence, humility, and genuine care, it gives permission for everyone else to bring their full selves to work. I've seen this play out in a powerful way when a medical director I worked with started every team huddle by asking, "What's one thing you need today to feel supported?" It was such a simple question, but it changed the entire dynamic: staff felt heard, tension dropped, and people started looking out for one another rather than just pushing through the day. That willingness to listen and adapt didn't just improve morale; it made the team safer and more effective with patients. Leadership, at its best, is not about being the loudest voice in the room—it is about creating an environment where everyone can do their best work without fear.

Samantha Stuart · Answer

Leadership sets the tone for everything. I've learned that employees don't just want direction—they want to feel seen. A few years ago, one of our technicians had a rough stretch: car trouble, a sick child, and missed routes piling up. Instead of writing him up, I pulled him aside and said, "Let's figure this out together." We adjusted his schedule, helped him with a short-term loan for repairs, and ensured he didn't feel like he had to choose between work and family.
That moment reminded me how far empathy can go in leadership. It didn't just help him—it sent a message to the whole team that we're here for each other. Since then, I've made it a point to know what's going on in my employees' lives beyond the job. When leadership models care and flexibility, it doesn't weaken standards—it builds loyalty. That technician is still with us today, and he's one of our top performers.

Erin Hendricks · Answer

Leadership sets the rhythm. If you're erratic, your team will mirror it. I remember a stretch where we had to restructure our ingredient sourcing due to drought pressures at one of our goat farms. I brought in all six team members involved in the supply chain for a two-hour discussion—not a presentation, just real talk. We didn't sugarcoat anything. We mapped it out on a whiteboard in my garage, and we made decisions together. Everyone left knowing their piece and feeling part of the solution.
During that crunch, one of our team members came up with a workaround: blending a specific batch of molasses with a slightly different DHA ratio to maintain taste without cutting quality. We tested it with 12 moms over 3 days, and 10 couldn't tell the difference. That sort of solution didn't come from a top-down order. It came from an environment where every idea gets airtime, even if it sounds weird at first.

Arsen Misakyan · Answer

I believe that effective leadership plays a crucial role in creating a great employee experience. At Angel City Limo, we have embraced an open-door policy, which encourages trust, communication, and empathy. For example, when our drivers expressed frustration about working unpredictable schedules that affected their work-life balance, I held informal coffee chats and listened to their feedback firsthand.
This strategy resulted in an input-driven, adaptable scheduling system that improved employee satisfaction scores by 37% and reduced turnover by 21% in just six months. With an emphasis on being approachable and responsive, we aligned our leadership with Angel City Limo's customer-centric culture, and the productivity effects on the team and on the quality of our service delivery were dramatic.
My advice: regularly stay in touch informally with employees to understand their needs and act quickly on feedback to show that you value their voices. Leadership is contagious, and in the luxury transportation industry—and any other industry for that matter—a culture of empathy can help you foster a staff of devoted, driven professionals.

Patrick Beltran · Answer

I was managing a hybrid team during a product pivot when I noticed that one senior strategist was struggling with late nights and broken handoffs. I made the decision to pull her off two accounts for 48 hours without warning, rerouted her client calls, and told her directly: "This is a pause, not a punishment." Upon her return, she was more focused, began automating her workflow, and eventually scaled those improvements to three other team members. This single decision ultimately improved retention and reduced weekly meeting time by 22 percent.
People don't need motivational quotes. They need permission to stop the bleeding. A good leader doesn't wait for burnout to surface. You spot the cracks, act quickly, and give them space to recover without asking. That is the job. Be their pressure valve, not another problem to solve.

Alec Loeb · Answer

Leadership defines the employee experience. It sets the tone not through slogans, but through consistency. You show up, communicate clearly, and follow through. Employees read your actions more than your emails. When leaders stay grounded in the day-to-day while pushing strategy forward, teams respond with trust and performance.
At the company, we made a shift in our onboarding process. It wasn't flashy. Our senior leaders, myself included, started attending onboarding sessions every month. We didn't delegate it. We showed up, explained our goals, and listened. New hires asked direct questions. We answered without spin. That habit lowered turnover in the first six months. New employees felt part of the mission, not just plugged into it. The impact wasn't about perks or abstract values. It was about leaders being present, specific, and accountable.
The same applies across industries. In retail, a store manager who walks the floor and gives immediate feedback outperforms one who stays in the office. In tech, a team lead who addresses blockers in the stand-up moves faster than one who waits for reports. Leadership is visible work. If you model commitment, teams follow. If you treat clarity as respect, people stay. It's not charisma. It's action. That's what shapes the experience.

Sean Smith · Answer

Positive employee experiences start with leadership that values mission alignment and transparent communication. At Alpas, we launched a monthly "Vision Lab" where team members can co-create solutions to systemic challenges. One of our nurses proposed a peer-shadowing program to increase cross-functional understanding. We implemented it, and within weeks, collaboration between departments improved. This kind of bottom-up innovation only works when leadership builds psychological safety and consistently reinforces that everyone's perspective matters.

Jonathan Orze · Answer

Good leadership listens before it directs. At Kaplan, one of my finance analysts flagged inefficiencies in our monthly reconciliation process. I empowered him to lead the overhaul with cross-department input. His solution cut our processing time by 30%. He's now leading a larger automation initiative. When leadership gives permission to innovate, people feel a sense of purpose, and that transforms the employee experience from transactional to transformational.

Randy Kunik · Answer

Leadership shapes how people feel about showing up to work. At Kunik Orthodontics, I lead by blending high expectations with sincere appreciation. When a new orthodontist joined our team, I personally mentored him on clinical strategy and patient rapport. That direct investment accelerated his confidence and retention. Leaders who prioritize mentorship cultivate loyalty and raise the standard of care. People rise when they feel seen and supported.

Corey Hassett · Answer

At The Freedom Center, I know leadership has to reflect the values we preach. When a support staff member wanted to pursue credentialing, I advocated for tuition assistance and gave her a flexible schedule. She now leads a team of her own. By investing in personal development, leaders send a message: we grow together. That creates loyalty and a deep sense of purpose that no incentive plan alone can match.

Megan Stoia · Answer

Leadership must reflect integrity and action. At Absolute Awakenings, I implemented a cross-training initiative based on feedback that many staff felt siloed. The result: stronger collaboration, fewer handoff issues, and higher employee satisfaction. When leaders don't just listen but respond, employees know their voices matter. That trust is the foundation of a positive workplace.

Nate Baber · Answer

Leadership sets the tone, structure, and expectations within the first five minutes of any meeting. People do not follow job titles; they follow accountability, preparation, and presence. If the person in charge does not read the room, the team interprets that silence as avoidance. Teams measure leaders by how they show up during times of conflict or delay. When leaders disappear or delegate responsibility without clarity, the trust gap expands quickly.
Effective leaders hold people to timelines and standards but shield them from unnecessary internal drama. They listen without interrupting, answer questions directly, and make decisions promptly. When someone earns praise, they name the accomplishment and deliver it in real-time. When someone misses the mark, they give a specific correction and a next step. This format eliminates confusion and lowers emotional static.

The Frequency

Leadership’s Role in Employee Experience: 19 Real-World Examples

Leadership’s Role in Employee Experience: 19 Real-World Examples

Leadership Shapes Culture Through Behavior

Create Pathways for Employee Feedback

Align People Purpose and Performance

Be Present in Challenging Moments

Recognize Efforts with Personal Touch

Empower Teams to Shape Their Growth

Set the Emotional Tone for Your Team

Foster an Environment of Support

Collaborate on Solutions During Crises

Listen and Act on Employee Feedback

Prevent Burnout with Proactive Leadership

Lead Through Consistent Visible Actions

Encourage Bottom Up Innovation

Empower Employees to Lead Change

Prioritize Mentorship and Personal Investment

Invest in Employee Development

Respond to Feedback with Tangible Changes

Show Up with Accountability and Presence

Lead with Empathy and Flexibility

The Frequency

Leadership’s Role in Employee Experience: 19 Real-World Examples

Leadership’s Role in Employee Experience: 19 Real-World Examples

Leadership Shapes Culture Through Behavior

Create Pathways for Employee Feedback

Align People Purpose and Performance

Be Present in Challenging Moments

Recognize Efforts with Personal Touch

Empower Teams to Shape Their Growth

Set the Emotional Tone for Your Team

Foster an Environment of Support

Collaborate on Solutions During Crises

Listen and Act on Employee Feedback

Prevent Burnout with Proactive Leadership

Lead Through Consistent Visible Actions

Encourage Bottom Up Innovation

Empower Employees to Lead Change

Prioritize Mentorship and Personal Investment

Invest in Employee Development

Respond to Feedback with Tangible Changes

Show Up with Accountability and Presence

Lead with Empathy and Flexibility

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