Everyone wants to work for a kind and caring boss. But there’s more to showing your employees that you care about them and their work than simply being nice. To show great leadership, focus on these seven core actions.
7 Approaches to Show Concern For Your Employees
Communicate
Communication is key to any relationship, including professionally. You need to develop a knack for putting forth your thoughts clearly and concisely, both out loud and in writing. But that’s only half of communication. The other half is listening. Learn to take in feedback, seek understanding, and hold a productive back-and-forth conversation.
Be Transparent
Your employees won’t believe that you have their best interests at heart if you aren’t honest with them. Every company and every department goes through ups and downs. Always be open and forthright, especially during tough times. Your team members might not like what you have to say, but they will respect you for saying it.
Take Responsibility
Great leadership means giving credit for successes to your team, but taking responsibility for missteps yourself. This doesn’t mean allowing your employees to get away with bad behavior. Instead, it means that the buck stops with you. If a problem arises, it’s your responsibility to solve it. Be accountable, be fair, and always seek improvement rather than punishment.
Innovate
No matter how strong your processes are, they could always be better. Great leaders are excellent problem-solvers. Learn to assess each situation with a critical eye and determine where improvements could be made. Then, analyze possible solutions and implement them. But you shouldn’t work in a vacuum. At every step, seek feedback from your team members and other stakeholders, which can guide you toward the best solution.
Show Decisiveness
Making a decision and sticking to it is tough for many people. But it’s an essential part of great leadership. Carefully weigh your options, gather as much information as you reasonably can, and then make your choice. Be ready to communicate not only the decision you made but also the reasons for it. And be aware that not every decision will work out well. Learn to be okay with uncertainty and to pivot when needed.
Build Relationships
Your employees are human beings, so avoid the tendency to think of them as cogs in a machine. Get to know them as individuals, and encourage them to bond with each other. This will create an atmosphere of trust and collaboration where everyone can find success.
Motivate
Great leadership isn’t just about having a creative vision. You’ll need to know how to inspire people to get on board. Mentoring your employees, rewarding their hard work, and offering challenging projects are just a few ways to keep them motivated.
Being a manager is hard work. But if you focus on the core skills above, you will be on your way to becoming a great leader.
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