How To Lead in Trying Times: Get The Inside Scoop From the UK’s #1 CEO

2020 has been defined in many ways by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on families, communities, businesses and economies. It has certainly been a challenging time for the majority of organisations, with many having to make difficult decisions with regards to employees and restructuring. In tough times, leaders show their true colours, so at Glassdoor we wanted to take a closer look at which CEOs stand head and shoulders above their peers for exceptional leadership . We analysed employee reviews on Glassdoor to identify CEOs who have received high praise from their employees during the lockdown and subsequent period. You can view the full results for the Highest Rated CEOs During the COVID-19 Crisis on our Glassdoor Economic Research blog. We took the time to catch up with the # 1 CEO for the UK, Steve Hare of enterprise software company, Sage , to find out how he keeps employees happy, what his biggest challenges are and why two-way dialogue between leadership and colleagues is so important.

[Glassdoor]: Steve, there is no executive playbook for a pandemic, so how have you adapted your leadership since COVID-19 emerged?

[Steve Hare]: Successful organisations are built on regular two-way communication between colleagues and leadership. I believe in listening to and learning from all colleagues, both in 'normal' business times and over the last six months when we've increased the frequency of that communication. Understanding sentiment has been critical - the Sage leadership team has taken every opportunity to learn from colleagues and understand the concerns and needs of our customers - which has been crucial in helping to navigate this difficult period.

What initiatives have you introduced to keep employees productive and happy?

We said from the start that colleague wellbeing was our number one priority. We launched a weekly Always Listening survey to find out how colleagues are feeling and where they needed more support. Using this feedback, we developed (and continue to develop) targeted initiatives to support colleagues globally. This includes:

• The launch of Family @ Sage, an initiative that gives colleagues access to a support group focused on sharing resources and experiences to help with mental and physical wellbeing whilst providing care for others and working from home.
• We launched a speaker series as part of Sage Belong, our diversity and inclusion program, for colleagues to benefit from advice and best practice from external experts.
• In addition, we provided colleagues globally with access to Headspace the mindfulness and meditation app.

Why do you think Sage employees have reacted so well to your leadership and company direction this year?

Transparency and visibility in leadership have always been important for us. Staying true to these principles was particularly important once the pandemic emerged. We capitalised on the good internal communications channels that we already had in place and adjusted the frequency of communication as colleagues told us they needed it. Our global broadcast channel, Sage TV Live was a great medium to help reinforce our "Together We Succeed" mindset, while the leadership team's willingness to answer colleague questions via virtual town halls helped reinforce that colleague safety and customer care remained our top priority. We also regularly went back to our Always Listening survey to ensure that we were delivering content that our colleagues wanted to hear about and got value from.

What has been the biggest challenge for you and your senior leadership team?

Like most people, we had to adjust to a home working routine and the juggle that involves. Technology, of course, has been a saviour for businesses globally. It has enabled us to keep our doors open and continue to serve customers during what is an incredibly difficult time for them. Remote working has meant that I've got to know colleagues a lot better. I've met children, family members and pets that I've only ever heard about! I feel it's made us an even stronger and it's reminded me how incredibly collaborative and motivated our Sage colleagues are.

How has Sage re-engineered itself since March and do you think any of these changes will outlast the pandemic?

Sage's values ​​are primarily based on doing the right thing, for our communities, customers, and communities, it's a powerful foundation from which we continue to build. Sage's response to the pandemic was grounded in these values. The more frequent two-way dialogue between leadership and colleagues meant that we were better aligned and better informed to make decisions quickly. We want to continue using this approach and feedback tool going forward.

Is there something about the Sage culture from before the pandemic that you think helped the company get through this crisis?

Our greatest asset is our people. People who work at Sage are incredibly committed to serving our customers and communities. We have always been focused on how we can best support our customers - and this approach has helped us adapt to their rapidly changing needs. In a year that has been challenging for many, Sage colleagues have shown that we have created the right environment for teams to align, collaborate and connect with customers. Colleagues trust the organisation and that radiates out to our customers. Colleagues have also always been focused on doing the right thing. Within two weeks of colleagues moving to remote working, our global volunteering program through Sage Foundation had a new focus on remote and skills-based volunteering, allowing colleagues to use their five volunteering days per year to give back to local charities and communities. I am so proud of colleagues' passion and drive to make a difference - as an example we had over 1000 colleagues at our first UK and Ireland virtual volunteering event and over 3000 at our global event. Confirmation of what I always knew: a large part of what makes Sage great is its people.

Is Sage hiring right now, and if so for what type of roles? What type of people are you looking for?

We are currently hiring. There is no one type of person that works at Sage. We are always looking for people that are innovative, collaborative, and not afraid to challenge the status quo. And we are also focused on diversity. Much can be said about the lack of females in STEM, but there are signs that's improving. Equally with people from BAME backgrounds - we know having a diverse workforce makes us a better business and creates an invigorating culture where people can thrive.