Connecting leadership to relationships
The trust that holds a workplace together used to build itself. We shared hallways and coffee makers; we stayed in jobs long enough to learn how a colleague thinks, how she disagrees, when he needs backup before he asks. A new report from the Center for Creative Leadership, “Connection at Work: The Leadership Challenge,” argues those days are gone. And the loss matters more than we might think.
The report’s central point is simple: Leadership is not a position. It happens between people, and it depends on trust, mutual understanding and the everyday relationships that let colleagues act together without constant negotiation. For most of history, proximity and stability built those relationships on their own. Hybrid schedules, turnover and a relentless pace have worn them away. These days, connections must be built on purpose and by design.
According to research cited in the report, 69% of leaders now spend more than half their time persuading people who do not report to them. Seen through the lens of Academic Affairs, our work across the MD, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Genetic Counselor Studies and Master of Public Health programs runs on that kind of persuasion. Curriculum committees, accreditation teams, and partnerships across the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health all move on relationships.
That is worth remembering as our Revitalization work continues. Redesigning an organization means redesigning its relationships, and the report suggests the units that thrive will be the ones that treat connection as real work.
The good news: UW–Madison already offers what the report prescribes, free to every employee. The Fully Prepared to Lead series rests on the idea that leadership shows up in actions, not titles, with courses on one-on-one communication, coaching, handling conflict, and guiding a team from within. The Thrive@UW–Madison workshop Building Trusting Work Relationships does exactly what its name promises. Supervisors can earn the Principles of Supervision and Management certificate.
Or start smaller. Walk to a colleague’s office instead of sending the fourth email. Ask one of our eight new hires what surprised them in their first month and listen to the answer. Connection is not a program. It is a practice — made of moments modest enough to skip and important enough not to.