In our last article, we asked the question – Do you want to transform from a boss into a leader? If you’re here reading this article, we’re assuming the answer is: YES!
It is often easier to start out as a leader instead of shifting from a boss into a leader. This is because your employees may have already made up their minds about you, and it may be difficult to change their opinion. Another thing is that habits are challenging to break, and if you have already gotten yourself into some unhealthy habits, it’s going to be tough to break out of them.
That being said, it is definitely worth making an effort to change your managerial style from a leader to a boss. Your employees will eventually notice the change and respect you for it.
Be thoughtful with your employees
The first thing you should do is to start treating your employees more thoughtfully. It may sound cliché but try treating them as you would want to be treated if you were in their position. Treating your employees kindly and with respect is the first step in gaining their admiration and respect, and they will be far happier to listen to you if you treat them well.
Think for the team, not yourself
Good leaders will also make all their decisions based on what is best for the team as well as what is best for the company. They won’t just be thinking about themselves. So start shifting your mindset to how your decisions affect your team members before you carry out new projects. Being fair is one of the most important qualities of a good leader.
Remember to always hear what your employees have to say and take their concerns into account.
Qualities of a good leader
There are some characteristics that all good leaders share, and you should also develop these as much as you can. A good leader is invariably:
Confident: A team leader often needs to deliver speeches and deal with large numbers of people. They need to be confident in their own ideas and decisions in order for other team members to want to follow them.
Communicative: Communication is key when it comes to effective leadership. You should know how to talk to and listen to your employees and provide a clear path for communication to take place.
Caring: You should take a true interest in your employees and care about their wellbeing, health, and safety in the workplace.
Approachable: Your employees and team members should be able to approach you with any workplace-related idea, issue or dilemma. Growing a report with your employees is one way to make you more approachable.
Organised: Leaders should lead by example, and this means being organised, meeting deadlines and arriving to work on time.
Hard-working: Bosses are known for being lazy, but a good leader is set apart by showing their work ethic and not being afraid to ‘get their hands dirty’ to help their team.
Knowledgeable: Leaders should act as a source of knowledge for all other team members. They should have an in-depth understanding of the workings of the company, as well as updated industry knowledge.
Patient: Patience and understanding are the key to great leadership. A good leader explains things with patience instead of getting irritable with team members that take a while to understand certain concepts and processes.
Flexible: Structure is great, but in the business landscape, things are always changing. Just look at the recent pandemic and the effect it took! Flexible managers know the best ways to adapt to challenging situations.
Creative: Being creative is a great advantage for good leaders as sometimes the best ideas require a little bit of lateral thinking.
If you feel like you don’t naturally have the above qualities and skillsets, you can always make the time and effort to start developing them to the best of your ability. Some things take time and practice!
If you are a business owner, manager, supervisor, or anyone else in a leadership position, know that you have a responsibility to your team members to be the very best leader you can be! It is highly rewarding and fulfilling to be and become a great leader. You’ll soon see the massive positive influence that you have on your employees’ lives!
Now that you’re ready to become the best leader you can be, why not share your views with the rest of our community?
