Leadership is not something that comes naturally to everyone. Even the most confident seeming managers and bosses will have had to enhance and improve their techniques over time. Whether you are just becoming a manager for the first time or have been leading a team for years, it’s always a good idea to brush up on your skills to stay at the top of your game.
Good leaders in business are so important as not only do they inspire those around them, they bring real results to the businesses they work for. If you are trying to improve your ability as a leader, here are a few things you should consider.
Bring Passion to Your Role
The best leaders show a real passion for their jobs which has a knock-on effect of inspiring the team they are in charge of. If you find that you are losing your dedication, try to find new ways of reigniting your passion. Set yourself goals and clear deadlines of when you want to achieve them. People work much better when they have something they are striving for. Take pleasure from the fact that people rely on your leadership abilities and you are playing a major part in their own professional development. You should aim to establish a good working relationship with your team. Find out about their lives outside of work and ask them about their interests. People are much more likely to respect a manager that they feel cares about them on an individual level.
Reduce Outward Negativity
From time to time, it is inevitable that we all become negative and disheartened. Try to avoid outwardly showing this to your team as it is likely to have a negative influence on them. If people become negative towards a particular project or the company as a whole, this will have a bad influence on their work and in turn affect your reputation as a manager. Showing frustration from time to time can show your team that you really do care, but you should be careful about letting this seep into your managerial role.
Celebrate Achievement
Positive feedback is one of the top motivators for employees, so you should make sure to tell people when they have done a job well. Some managers only reserve this for ‘big wins’, but even more minor achievements should be celebrated as they encourage employees to keep striving for bigger and better things. Try not to single out the same person for praise again and again as this can lead to resentment amongst your other team members.
Trust and Delegate
The best leaders know that they cannot do everything alone. Instead, make sure to show members of your team that you trust them by delegating certain responsibilities. This shows how much you value their skills, and that it really is a team effort. Once you have delegated a particular task, make sure to oversee it carefully at first. Over time, you will probably become more comfortable and not need to monitor things so closely.
Ask For Input
Nothing frustrates employees more than when they feel like they aren’t being listened to and their opinions don’t matter. Try to combat this by having group brainstorming tasks in which everyone is encouraged to contribute. As a manager, if you don’t take into account other perspectives, you will only be seeing things from a single point of view. If you use some of the ideas that your team share, they will feel valued and comfortable that they are making a worthwhile contribution.
Never Stop Learning
This advice is should go for everyone, but it is particularly true if you are in a management or leadership role of any kind. There are always courses you can go on or even a range of e-learning options to take in. Firms like Ellis Whittam offer management training packages to help people stay on top of their game. Those who aren’t continually learning and developing risk standing still or getting left behind.
Deal With Conflict
In any team, it is more or less inevitable that some sort of conflict will arise from time to time. This may be a clash of two big personalities or a case in which someone has acted unprofessionally. Regardless, you should confront the issue head on and speak to the people who are involved. Make sure that you hear both sides of the disagreement and try to make compromises where possible.
