16 Dec What Inspiring Leaders Do?
For a workplace or a business to be successful, you need to have a battalion of workers who are inspired to go to work every single day. For that to happen, you do not need a pantry full of food or a car plan. You need an amazing leader, who will be the anchor that will hold the team together and guide them to turn into a well-oiled machine that helps keep the business going.
We have heard of people leaving the company not because they hated their jobs or they hated their companies or they are being worked to the bone. High attrition rates are usually blamed on employees problems with their bosses.
To be a leader is a daunting task in itself and to be good at it takes double the effort. A huge responsibility rests on the shoulders of bosses because, in a way, a company’s future rests on their ability to supervise a group of individuals with different characters and skill sets.
The skill of being an exceptional leader is something one could learn overtime, but there are times when you need a crash course to becoming a good leader. Let’s talk about the things that a good leader does to help the team achieve its goals.
1. THEY COMMUNICATE
Communication is the key to everything—from preventing any misunderstanding to sending out a clear message to everyone in the team about the goals you all are trying to achieve. Make sure that there is an open line of communication between you and your employees and that they can talk to you anytime.
If you are not comfortable sharing your personal number, you could always set up a messaging system, where any concern from employees will surely reach the boss. And once you receive those concerns, make sure that you acknowledge them and show them that you will do something to address it.
2. THEY GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE PEOPLE AT WORK
If you work for the biggest company in the world, of course, it is impossible to remember every single one of the employees who are under you. But you can exert an effort to get to know people you work closely with.
For your workers, it would mean a lot if you at least call them by their first name instead of calling them ‘that girl who operates the copy machine.’ or the ‘girl who brings the coffee.’
3. THEY WORK TOWARDS THE COMPLETION OF THE COMPANY’S GOALS WITH THEIR TEAM
When you make plans towards the fulfillment of a goal, always include the team with you. This way, they will always feel welcome and that they are part of your team going after the same goal. There’s nothing better than the sense of belonging in an organization.
4. THEY LEAD BY EXAMPLE
If you tell your employees not to be late, then you show them that you yourself can follow a simple office instruction, come to work early, and wear the dress code that you require your employees to wear.
If you show them that you are inspired, then they will be inspired, too. If they see that you love your job, then employees will come to love their jobs as well. If you show them that you are slacking then it gives them the reason to do the same thing since ‘the boss is doing it too.’
Monkey see, monkey do. But it will be a good thing if you yourself are doing the things you want your employees to do.
5. THEY TAKE CONTROL OF A BAD SITUATION
There are so many instances when things go wrong in the company or when a company is undergoing a crisis. Instead of laying blame or pointing fingers, step up and come up with a solution. You may also lead the team into brainstorming for the best way to solve a particular problem. Be the part of the solution, they say.
6. THEY ARE FIRM BUT FAIR
Just because you helped fix a problem doesn’t mean that whoever made the mistake can just get away with it scot-free. First, make sure that an investigation is made before sitting him or her down and telling them the mistakes they have committed and how they have affected the workflow of the company. Let them know that their mistakes have a corresponding punishment and those are based on the company’s rules. Some more serious violations may be under your state’s or country’s laws.
This tough love will also send a message to your employees that you are serious in implementing your company’s policies and this will motivate them to follow the protocol at all times, unless they risk of getting punished themselves.
7. THEY BUILD A BOND WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES
You do not need to become close friends with them, you just need to connect to a level where a bond will be formed. A night out with them after a hectic day at work once in a while will be a great start. This way you could also pick their brains in a different environment. There’s a different kind of appreciation for these people once you know more about them on a personal level.
8. THEY GIVE KUDOSES WHERE KUDOSES ARE DUE
Just as you punish them when they commit mistakes, a good boss will also give you a pat on the back if you did something spectacular for the company. There are some bosses who really go out of their way and prepare incentive packages for their employees who have performed well. But really, a good ‘ol ‘great job!’ will do the trick. This will boost the employees morale and will inspire them to do even better and also motivate other to work just as hard.
9. THEY MENTOR
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This holds true for a team. A good boss will not look at an employee struggling to do his job and laugh at him or her. He will hold their hand and teach him the ways and the tricks of the trade. If he gets better at his job, he will look good. If he looks good, the boss will look good too. And if the boss looks good, so does the company.
There are people who are born leaders. But all of us has the capacity to become a good boss. You just have to be sensitive to your workmates needs and learn to work around their strengths and weaknesses to make them a useful part of your team. There will be hits and misses since there are no rules set in stone that makes one the best boss, but it is definitely a skill that one can learn overtime with a lot of patience.
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