10 Inspirational Quotes From Workplace Leaders

Whether you call yourself a facility manager, corporate real estate professional, employee experience leader or something else, your role is constantly evolving.

Today’s workplace leaders are responsible for managing much more than buildings. They’re also managing people and technology, as well as contributing to business strategy.

While it’s exciting to be part of the fast-growing facilities management industry, it can also be overwhelming.

Sometimes you just need a little reassurance you’re on the right path. Fortunately, iOFFICE has developed connections with many innovative workplace leaders through the work we do and the webinars and podcasts we host.

Here are 10 words of wisdom we’d like to share with you as you embrace any new challenges that come your way this year.

10 Inspirational Quotes From Workplace Leaders

1. On the value of work-related strategic partnerships:

“Rethink that a negotiation is just about the deal. It’s about laying the foundation for the relationship, and once you get the foundation for the relationship, then and only then should you be structuring the deal.” 

–Kate Vitasek, educator, author and designer of the Vested business model for highly collaborative relationships

Workplace leaders shouldn’t focus so much on labels, such as buyers and suppliers, but should concentrate their efforts on developing strategic partners whose successes hinges on their own.

2. On investing in your own human capital: 

“If you want to create your opportunity, think horizontally. Think like IT does. Think like finance does. Think like HR does. Now you become valuable horizontally across the organization, not just vertically, and people look to you as a partner.”

–Larry Allen Morgan, CFM, SFP, FMP of SAP

You can make yourself indispensable as a workplace leader by establishing yourself as a partner with the various departments in your company.

3. On workplace technology: 

“Give everyone access to the technology so that they can test it out. You want the tools used in the workplace to emulate what they use in their personal life.”

–Jacob Morgan, author and keynote speaker

Workplace leaders have a responsibility to avoid a drain in workplace technology experience among employees.

4. On inspiring innovation in the workplace: 

“Try to live in a perpetual state of testing one’s assumptions. Never believing that you know everything, or that you have everything figured out. Always be testing what it is you think you know. The knowledge is out there. The support is out there. I think that we just have to get innovating.”

–Adi Gaskell of The Horizons Tracker

Being an effective innovator in the workplace requires the realization that there is more out there to learn.

5. On engaging employees of all generations: 

“The bigger picture is really getting everyone of all generations on the same page. Everything springs from that. You can talk about leadership development. You can talk about customer service…all of it comes from having an engaged employee.”

–Porschia Parker CPC, ELI-MP of the Millennial Performance Institute

With engaged employees, you can achieve a well-functioning organization.

6. On putting people first: 

“The most valuable resource that any organizational leader has available to him or her is their people. Without question.”

–Thomas L. Mitchell, Jr., CFM, CFMJ, IFMA Fellow

Even with all of the changes occurring in the workplace, workplace leaders should remember that the foundation of any success lies with the employees.

7. On how to engage employees: 

Employee engagement is simple. It’s about understanding that as long as you meet your employees’ basic human needs, they will continue to trust leadership, and they will continue to feel an emotional connection to your organization the same way they did on the first day on the job.”

–Jill Christensen, speaker and author

Workplace leaders can develop a workplace culture that nurtures engaged employees.

8. On creating an agile workplace: 

“When you have access to multiple choices to where you do your work, that trumps owning one space. Think beyond the office environment. How can people participate from anywhere and still feel like they are part of the community?”

–Terry Tran & Sara Andersen, of Genentech

You can improve the employee experience by providing autonomy and flexibility in the workplace.

9. On preparing for the future: 

“Work with leaders. Understand the direction in which they are going. Understand employees and their business lines, where they see their projections and where they see their future.”

–Steve Todd, Head of Workplace Strategy at Nasdaq 

Consultation and collaboration with other company leaders is essential for developing workplace strategies that will prepare the workforce for what lies ahead.

10. On creating workplace experiences that empower employees: 

“Deliver concierge services. It’s not just trying to get the best value for the dollar, but we need to create an experience in the workplace and enable them to do their best work.”

–John Parsons, Director of Workplace Experience at 23andMe

With the right workplace environment, your employees can produce their best work.

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