You’ll discover this if you’re faced with being in charge of others for the first time. If you’ve been promoted to a management position, it’s likely because your superiors believe you have leadership skills, so you’re not exactly starting from scratch. You’ll face many challenges while trying to hone those skills, but there are some simple approaches to help you develop into a strong and trusted leader.
Do it, don’t say it
One of the best ways to be an effective manager is not to tell people what to do, but to show them. If you expect everyone else to follow the rules and don’t do so yourself, you will only cultivate an image of yourself as a lazy slave-driver, making it impossible to gain the respect and trust of your employees. It’s up to you to set a good example, and when you’re productive and motivated, they usually will be too.
Follow through on what you do say
Don’t make promises you can’t or won’t keep - just as in any relationship, this will chip away at trust until good employees begin to leave because they don’t believe anything they’re told. Always be honest about what you can give them and what you can’t, because even if they want more, they’ll still have a higher opinion of you and are more likely to stick with you.
Recognize what your employees do
It’s crucial to make your employees feel valued for what they do, and to reward them for doing exceptional work or going above and beyond their responsibilities. This is one of the major factors that keeps employees in their jobs. They will be willing to do more and work harder, and they’ll be happy to have a leader who notices their contributions.
Communication is key
You must make yourself available and approachable to your employees, letting them know they can come to you with problems and concerns or with ideas for change or improvement. Just walking around to greet them in the mornings, or bringing them into the office for a few minutes to solicit feedback or talk to them about their performance or development can have a huge impact.
If you want to be a great leader instead of a good one, make yourself stand out. Don’t be a generic manager, take an active interest in your employees’ development and encourage them to share their opinions and ideas. Gaining and keeping the trust of your employees and showing a genuine interest in them will help to make you a respected and effective leader.
Tara Wagner - Tara Wagner has studied short fiction and non-fiction writing and worked in human resources and management.
