Connection is the New Leadership Mandate

For decades, leadership followed the “rank-and-yank” model popularized by Jack Welch at General Electric—a top-down system that prioritized performance over people. It delivered short-term financial results but often created fear-driven cultures.

Today, leadership expectations are shifting. According to Gallup, the first expectation of leaders is building genuine relationships with employees.

As Simon Sinek puts it: leadership isn’t about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in your charge.

Delta Airlines CEO, Ed Bastian, is one of several corporate leaders who are modeling connections, leading with one simple belief: take care of your people and they’ll take care of customers. He practices transparent communication and accessibility with his team, including a weekly email to all 100,000 + employees.

Leadership today isn’t command and control—it’s connection.

How are you connecting with the people in your care?

Keep growing your leadership,

Jeff