In today’s competitive market, the job of a manager is not easy. A manager and leader is responsible for recruiting, training, monitoring, engaging, motivating, anticipating, aligning, evaluating, disseminating, adjusting, predicting, guiding, reinforcing, recording, identifying, planning, and building teams. If you miss one of these responsibilities, your performance will be questioned.
A management role is not the route to power, neither is it a ticket to an easy life with minimal work. It takes lots of courage to step up to lead in any organization. But no one will follow if you’re not leading your team for the right reasons. Talent always seeks out other talent, and talented employees follow leaders who can inspire them and make them better. Here are some qualities that make you a well-liked leader who draws and develops the best talent.
1. You provide direction
Great leaders always provide clear direction by eliminating obstacles and making the path free of distractions. They streamline processes, discover resources, and keep all sorts of interruptions at bay. A great leader understands the problems and issues of employees and fixes them by putting their employees’ interests first.
2. You groom talent
Talented employees really care about their futures, and they tend to follow a leader who can get them there. A likeable leader helps people to understand the business by showing them every part of the operation to improve their skills. Your best people want to climb. Like it or not, this job is temporary to them. Employees only perform better if the leader is keen to develop and groom them in their field.
3. You give personal attention
The best leaders always provide personal attention to their people. They are keen to mentor and train associates, knowing negligence only gives bad habits, inactivity, and disengagement. They offer regular advice on performance, knowing the best employees crave honesty and dislike sugarcoating. They care about their colleagues and connect with them on a personal level, knowing their personal matters influence their success as well. The best leaders make their subordinates feel valued and inspire them to do things that will make them feel and perform better.
4. You listen to people
One thing that separates great leaders from good ones is a willingness to learn. This is one area in which true leaders excel. They are continually asking questions, voraciously inquiring, and are never fully satisfied. They utilize their abilities and recognize change as an opportunity to learn. The fastest way to lose credibility among peers is to lose touch with the current situation — and show no interest in catching up.
Great leaders always stay updated, they aren’t afraid of setbacks and criticism, they’re open to constructive opinion and debate. They don’t keep grudges or discourage anyone when they’re wrong. Instead, they focus on solutions and moving forward. In a nutshell, real leaders absorb feedback and take action. Even when they fail, people know their voices were heard by their leader and the process was fair.
5. You give people ownership
Top leaders give their people ownership at work. They don’t stand over them to ensure each and every task is done in a particular manner. They turn their employees loose to discover, test, learn, and understand. They perform their roles by asking questions and providing guidance. In simple words, they give people space to find out how to resolve problems themselves. Through their trust and provision, they encourage improvement. In return, they get respect and loyalty.
6. You establish excellence
Great leaders don’t “demand” excellence — they establish it by setting an example. They put themselves in an employee’s shoes. Under a true leader, employees set their bar high and big things are anticipated every day. Great leader make employees set goals to keep them focused and out of trouble. They push continuous learning to keep workers active and demand results, regardless of standards, politics, and difficulties.
A great leader understands where you are in terms of knowledge and skill and nudges you on to the next level.
7. You weigh potential
Good leaders don’t just hire people for just a particular job, they also weigh their potential. They don’t look or focus on what an employee can’t do or what others say about them. They focus on what they could do. Amazing leaders look for opportunities to help their talented employees build confidence. Great leaders see what other leaders can’t because they look for it — and they gain the rewards as a result.
8. You lead by example
True leaders are the ones who inspire devotion, trust, and brilliance. They hold themselves accountable to the same rules and regulations as those they lead. They lead by example and view their employees as equals — and they don’t hesitate to get their hands dirty with them. Before judging others, they focus on their own behavior and weigh what’s important and what’s not. That’s exactly how they know what is actually fair, and their people know that they’re being treated fairly too.
Featured photo credit: The Natural Step Canada via flickr.com
