The Value of the Employee Most people like to be appreciated by the people they care about. The same goes for employee/employer relationships. “Employees who feel valued and appreciated by their leaders are infinitely more likely to go above and beyond for the company and hold themselves accountable for their part of a project. Most importantly, they will be happier in their roles. If leaders ignore the importance of connecting with employees, they lose the benefit of a dedicated, long-term team.” (forbes) The important thing that needs to be looked at is how the leader can still connect with the employee while still maintaining a position of authority. #1: Unable to Respond to Employee Emails As we know, leaders are busy managing multiple people and tasks. Employees use email as a means of communication to get the answers they need easily and effectively, as well as a way to track purposes for future reference. Due to the nature of the business I am in, it is essential to be able to have constant communication with our manager/leader because situations arise that require attention within a certain period of time. My current team has recently gone through management changes. Before my old manager left the company there was a lot of discussion among my colleagues about the way “Leslie” communicated. Since “Leslie” was always present in meetings and/or working on various projects, she was rarely at her desk, so we resorted to communicating via email or instant messaging hoping for a quick response. “Leslie” rarely responded to emails or instant messages in a timely manner, thus forcing us to make the best decision we thought possible, even if it was the right one. There were also cases where we as a team had never decided to cut salaries to ensure they avoided possible unemployment for any reason. “However, the emotional toll was heavy. American workers are suffering a severe case of burnout, reporting high levels of stress at work and extreme tiredness, researchers say. More than a third of employees say they manage stress in the worst way possible by working harder.” (cbsnews) Companies are now working to achieve work-life balance so that their employees have the freedom to balance their home lives and are still able to continue producing a productive product for their work. Conclusion For a true leader to be successful, these leaders should be aware of avoiding any of the above “pitfalls”. By avoiding these "pitfalls" the leader will have a positive and productive team that will not only ensure the success of the team but of the organization as a whole..