If you have ever worked for a bad boss, no one has to remind you what a nightmare it can be. These are the superficial managers who are more interested in letting you know who is in charge and criticizing or punishing you when you make that inevitable mistake. They are good at telling you what you must do but seldom do they take the time to consider your current workload or to make sure you understand an assignment completely.
If this is a fairly accurate description of how you manage your team, you should know there is a better way. And if you follow it, you and your workers will benefit from your transformation. Most bad managers are not bad people. Many of their methods and attitudes have simply been passed down from bosses of a different era.
Here are some leadership qualities you could adopt, which could make a substantial difference in morale, production and your company’s bottom line.
Leaders Are Mentors
When your team members mess up, it doesn’t help to heap blame and embarrassment on them. They need mentoring and encouragement so they can recoup their confidence. It’s a leader’s responsibility to deal with an employee’s weaknesses positively and productively, but they also must recognize and acknowledge their workers’ strengths and talents as part of the mentoring process.
Leaders Provide Inspiration
Successful leaders let their team members know their work is important, and they offer guidance and support to get each worker through the toughest assignments. By inspiring every employee this way, the entire team becomes excited about their work and eventually acquires a real passion for it.
Leaders Are the Real Thing
A true leader is genuine and gets to know every employee personally. They recognize the needs of their people, and they create a culture within the organization that fosters open communication. By getting to know their workers better, they can explain their vision for the organization in a manner that will connect with each of them. And they can personalize the way they motivate each worker.
Leaders See Themselves as Part of the Team
One of the failures of a boss/worker relationship is the “us-against-them” mentality. You see it in many workplaces: Supervisors and employees pulling in different directions instead of working toward a common goal.
Excellent leaders unite themselves with their team members in a shared objective by working closely with them and empowering them with the shared vision. Workers will be driven to give their best when they see their leader enthusiastically doing the same.
We Know Something About Leadership
Select Staff is a leading staffing firm specializing in the placement of office clerical, finance and accounting, and industrial personnel throughout Texas.
Our company was created in 1981 from strong leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Since its inception, Select Staff has continued to thrive by focusing on dedicating itself to serving its clients
Contact one of our regional offices to find out how we can help you.
