Ditch the "Squid Game" Mentality: Why safe workspaces are the real winners

I have been in leadership positions for a long time. In a lot of those situations, I was in a space of learning rather than leading. Today, my leadership style has changed, thinking of myself as the employee, heavily influenced by Richard Branson 's voice on leadership. Constantly seeking to understand employees and their issues, can only serve a company and its missions if they are prepared especially in their mental health. In my experience at Caribbean Airlines Ltd , this was referred to as the internal customer experience.

In my work developing brands, leadership is integral to an effective brand strategy because it sets the tone for company culture and drives the brand's mission and values. Effective leadership not only shapes internal dynamics, but also influences external perceptions, establishing trust and credibility with stakeholders. Active listening, transparent communication, and safe feedback opportunities are all factors for growth in transforming your company culture.

In the context of leadership and brand strategy, "Squid Game" represents a cutthroat, survival-of-the-fittest approach, where individuals are pitted against each other for personal gain in a high-stress, high-stakes environment. This contrasts sharply with leading with care, where the focus is on creating a supportive, safe, and collaborative atmosphere. While a "Squid Game" mentality might push for short-term performance, it ultimately leads to burnout, distrust, and high turnover undermining the long-term success and sustainability of both the team and the brand.

Attracting and retaining high-performing teams is no longer just about competitive salaries or impressive perks but understanding leading with care. Leaders prioritizing a culture of concern and safety achieve benefits extending far beyond employee satisfaction. Actually, they directly impact engagement, performance, and retention.

Employees are really, really unhappy. Well over half of employees (57 percent) are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, according to a recent report from Aflac. Meanwhile, employees’ confidence in how much their employers care about them has declined significantly: In 2023, 48 percent said they are confident that their employer cares about them—down from 56 percent in 2022 and 59 percent in 2021.

Employee Happiness Hits 4-Year Low

Safety as a Foundation for Success

Create a safe environment. It means fostering a culture where employees feel safe to make mistakes, speak up, and challenge the status quo. When people feel secure in their roles, they are 76% more engaged.

Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout.

Employee engagement. The Neuroscience of Trust. Management behaviors that foster employee engagement by Paul J. Zak. Harvard Business Review

This psychological safety drives innovation and commitment, making team members more willing to take risks and contribute their best ideas.

The Ripple Effect of Feeling Valued

Safety and care go hand in hand. Employees who feel valued are more likely to stay and thrive. They don’t just perform better, they become ambassadors for your brand. On the flip side, when care is absent, employees may not only leave but also share negative experiences, impacting the company’s reputation and ability to attract top talent.

Understanding and Connecting with Your Team

To lead with care, leaders must actively seek to understand their team members. This requires letting go of assumptions and staying attuned to the individual journeys of employees. People’s needs change with different life stages and events, and a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership is no longer effective.

Prioritizing Connection Time

Effective leaders make “connection time” a priority. Don't just check in on projects or have impromptu meetings. Build genuine connections with your team. Even a few minutes can make a significant difference in understanding what’s happening in their lives and how you can best support them.

"The goal of connection time is to connect. On a human to human level!"

When you lead with care, your team will take care of everything else, from customers to company goals. Make your company mission a movement! When employees feel cared for and connected, they are more likely to adopt your mission as their own.

Top 3 Takeaways:

1. Safety First - Build a safe environment where employees feel valued and secure.
2. Seek Understanding - Continuously engage with your team to understand their needs and motivations.
3. Constantly Connect - Make genuine connections a regular practice to foster a deeper sense of belonging and care.

Leading with care isn’t just good for people, it’s good for business. These leadership strategies allow you to create a workplace where high-performing teams not only thrive but also drive your organization’s success and growth. Yes not easy, but possible.

I wrote this based on the lecture The Infinite ROI of Leading with Care: The New Rules to Attract & Retain High Performing Teams presented by Danny Goldberg in my Executive Director course with NEXT MBA .