Both Ralph and Jean were recently promoted to the manager position at a local pharmacy. Ralph became extremely invested in his new position, because of his new responsibilities. While Ralph tried to crack the whip and boss his employees around, Jean tried to understand what motivated her employees and sought to align their motivations with the productivity she needed from them.
Soon, Ralph found all of his employees were either quitting on him, no longer were friendly with him, or working just hard enough to keep from getting fired. The work environment when he was in charge became quiet, serious and tense. However, when Jean was on shift, the effect was like a ray of sunshine lighting up a dark room. Employees laughed and joked with her and with each other, and they also worked extremely hard.
Are you a Ralph, or are you a Jean?
While many who enter into management and leadership roles want to be genuinely liked by the employees they supervise, seeking popularity for its own sake can be a dead-end path. Many have tried to lead while seeking popularity only to find that, indeed, they are loved but not respected.
So, in this article we want to explore what it takes to become a more likable boss, while gaining respect and support.
There are two kinds of leadership roles in the workplace. One which creates an atmosphere that results in high staff turnover, or one where people love and respect their leader/manager.
Here are ten things to help make you a better leader/manager:
Is it better to be loved or feared?
This famous question comes down to us from Niccolo Machiavelli, a political theorist who lived in Italy during the Renaissance. He contended that a leader who is feared is preferable to a leader who is loved. However, he also lived during a time of great political instability where city governments changed in a flash, usually violently, and usually involving executions of the previous leadership. This theory has outlived its essence. Think of Saddam Hussein who led out of fear.
Leadership as service:
Whether you prefer an authoritative leadership style, a lenient one or something in between, one factor that can truly enhance your effectiveness in leadership is to see yourself as serving the needs of your employees even as you serve the needs of your company, customers or organization.
Leadership by design:
Few people are actually born leaders. Most people have to learn how to become good leaders. Leadership skills need to be sharpened over our lifetime.
Understanding motivation:
You can’t always get into the head of another person. Even if this were possible, understanding what motivates another person can be so complex that even that person is unaware of her or his motivations. However, to a certain degree, the essence of leadership is getting others to do what you need them to do, as if it were their original motives themselves.
Constructive criticism:
A soft answer turns away wrath – even your own internal wrath. Sandwich your criticism – praise / criticize / praise.
The importance of tone:
One of the innate qualitis as leader or manager is the ability to apply “grace under pressure,” and perform at your best. One truth about effective leadership is that when things go right, you will want to deflect the praise to your team members, but when things go wrong, accept full responsibility.
Trusting your team:
When you lead others, you will find that they will rise and fall to the expectations you set for them.
Earning the trust of your team:
Avoiding micromanagement, delegating tasks properly and celebrating successes are all ways to increase your high regard and trust for your team, but trust is a two-way street. Any effective leader is one the followers will trust implicitly.
Building and reinforcing your team:
Teams don’t immediately come together and experience success overnight. In fact, it takes a good leader to work at turning a group of disconcerted people into an effective team.
You are the boss of you:
Regardless of how much we read, listen or attend workshops where we learn all the ins and outs of leading others, if you cannot lead yourself effectively than you will never be able to get others to follow you.
Much success to you!
— This article was written and presented by Fas Trac Inc., neither the editor nor this newspaper is responsible for the content presented. Fas Trac Inc. provides business consultancy for buying, streamlining or selling a business, as well as conducting workshops on various subjects for business owners, management and employees. For more success please write [email protected].
