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How To Be A Good Leader

May 4, 2021
Bill Kimball

how to be an effective leader and manager

We can’t do everything and therefore we must learn when to say no in order to save our sanity. This is one of the most important productivity books you will ever read.

how to be an effective leader and manager

Be sure to articulate your vision clearly and passionately, ensuring your team understands how their individual efforts contribute to higher level goals. Personally working toward your vision with persistence, tenacity, and enthusiasm will inspire and encourage others to do the same.

Employees were busy setting up displays in a full-scale store that was being assembled inside the Kansas City convention center. When he walked through the simulated Walmart store, he noticed that the merchandising team had fallen behind in assembling a set of display racks for new products. Of course, strong managers are not simply process facilitators. Most have technical expertise within the area their team is operating. So to get the most out of their teams, they have to know when to get directly involved.

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These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team. “When you are responsible for a team of people, it is important to be straightforward,” he said. “Your company and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior as a key value, your team will follow.” We spoke with CEOs, directors and leadership experts to learn what those leadership strategies are and how you can incorporate them. Great leaders connect with their team by facilitating open communication, encouraging employee growth and development, and giving and receiving feedback. Learning how to be a good leader can greatly impact the success of your team, your organization and yourself. As the manager and leader, you should set an example in terms of your behavior.

Those key deliverables might include outcomes such as business growth, margin expansion, improving operational efficiency, or hiring a championship team. Next to each outcome should be a list of several key performance indicators, the metrics that show what success looks like. The hiring manager can use this scorecard to craft interview questions around those important outcomes.

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To achieve goals, employees need to know what success looks like. Effective supervisors are transparent with their people about their vision and priorities and hold regular check-ins both formally and informally to assess progress and address questions. Managers have the potential to make a significant impact—both positive and adverse —on their employees and the success of their company.

  • Their tactical efforts ensure that quality products and services get to market on time and under budget.
  • This means keeping current on what’s going on in your field and continuing to expand your knowledge.
  • All employees are, at some point or the other, seeking praise for the work they do.
  • Invest time in the people you lead to determine their strengths, needs, and priorities.
  • Effective leaders define their vision and motivate subordinates to adopt this vision, often during meetings and training sessions or in newsletters.

As much as leaders wish their team’s day-to-day operations could run smoothly all the time, they’re bound to run into the occasional obstacle. Whether it’s a minor miscommunication or a major error, the way you handle a negative situation says a lot about your leadership skills. Patoliya said that successful leaders allow their teams to develop autonomy and add value according to their own personal strengths. 86% of businesses worldwide say developing new leaders is their organization’s #1 challenge—and only 15% are confident in their current leadership pipelines.

Ways To Become A Better Leader

They stand as fundamental truths, considerations and principles that govern an effective management role rather than a strict instruction manual to success. Stay true to these principles in addition to your own, and you’ll unify your team in a rewarding and enriching environment. In a situation of failure, it’s important that you take responsibility for the problem and be honest about what went wrong. An inaccurate representation of the issue affects everyone on your team, and your co-workers will value your honesty. In fact, a recent study found that61 percentof employees viewed admitting mistakes as one of the most important traits among effective leaders. According to a recent study, one of the largest leadership challenges is managing change and innovation. Effective leaders are able to motivate their co-workers and guide their organizations to success by being the first to embrace these changes in the workplace, no matter how big or small they seem.

This might mean stepping in at a time when the team is struggling, or taking the lead on an important initiative related to their personal area of expertise. First and foremost, managers need to help their team members envision what success looks like for their group. If the answers I’d get back are different, then that manager isn’t communicating their priorities clearly. After all, strong managers coax high productivity out of their teams; they also free the executive team from much of the day-to-day operations so they can focus on more tactical issues. No matter how difficult the problem, there is always a quick solution, and leaders are happiest when they are devising solutions to problems. The trouble is that, in our zeal to fix things quickly and move on to the next fire, we often overlook the lasting solution that may take longer to develop. Although it’s more fun to be a firefighter, the next time you have a problem to solve in your organization, deal with the cause of the problem instead of simply treating the symptoms.

Your employees are the people who keep your business running smoothly, so you need to give them the attention they deserve and make sure they’re given the support they require. Although some individuals are naturally inclined to have good leadership skills, it is something anyone can learn and improve upon. With hard work, dedication and strategic planning, you can lead your team to success. As mentioned in many of these tips, communication is a key aspect of effective leadership.

how to be an effective leader and manager

Goals make sure that your employees are on the same page and know the significance of the role they play in the business. Then make sure to monitor each employee’s progress towards achieving those goals. Conflict is unavoidable because you can’t expect everyone to agree with your view and do anything you say. Good managers can resolve disputes and de-escalate problems effectively and in such a way that won’t prevent the team from achieving planned goals. When a business is run well, employees are happier, more engaged, possess a stronger sense of ownership for their work, and are more successful at producing results. Here’s what you need to know to start improving your managerial abilities. Not that you should start pointing fingers to evade the situation!

Managers using the participatory style may assign tasks to each employee, and that employee is required to complete the task from start to finish. The task assigned to each employee may act as one part of an entire group project. Employees who understand the importance of their role to the success of the group are motivated to complete their task. The directing management style calls for managers to establish specific goals and deadlines for employees. This style is effective when there are tight deadlines to meet. The teamwork management style pulls employees together to develop ideas and processes to meet goals. Working in a team environment motivates employees to contribute their best work.

It is possible that you do not have a stellar team, but that should not mean you should settle for mediocrity in work. You must hold the power to inspire employees so that they exceed all expectations. You do possess the power to sack people who aren’t doing what they were hired to do. Being a good manager is all about running the show while producing effective results. You are not only seen as a leader but are also expected to be fair and approachable.

More Leadership Tips

Last but not least, managers should take the time to reflect on their own actions and decisions. A leader is always conscious of their actions and has clarity of thought.

“You need time to integrate, process and reflect, and unless you go through those steps, you won’t have sustainable change.” Leadership coaching can also help you discover areas where you need improvement. A professional who helps you develop a plan to achieve your leadership goals can be more motivational than books and seminars alone. Ohlrich also stressed the importance of explaining how these goals impact the organization as a whole.

It improves relationships and creates an effective groupthink environment that further promotes teamwork and consensus. Effective managers must establish their credibility (and I am not talking about past positions/previous titles). The most effective managers always follow-up, are true to their word, have a proven track record, and have a reputation of getting things done. But in the end, it is the level of trust you have with your manager that makes or breaks the team, your performance and the developmental journey within the organization you serve. Equally, if a manager is ineffective at earning trust – the lack of team performance will speak for itself and turnover will become increasingly apparent. You can’t hide if you are an ineffective manager who has trouble earning trust.

This is the first rule because it applies to most of the others. Before your management approach can be effective, it must be consistent. You must reward the same behaviors every time they appear, discourage the same behaviors when they appear and treat every member of your team with an equal, level-headed view. Effective leaders also do not hesitate when it comes time to act or make these impactful decisions.

When employees are empowered in this way, you’re helping to build their confidence, develop their leadership skills, and encourage a high sense of responsibility for their work. The key to leadership success is to learn to effectively delegate both the responsibility for completing assignments and the authority required to get things done. Many bosses feel that they need to control every little thing that their employees do. When you delegate work to employees, you multiply the amount of work you can accomplish while you develop your employees’ confidence, leadership and work skills. Most effective leaders know the benefit of approaching their work from a people-centric perspective.

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