Does your boss do these 5 things?
IF SO, YOU ARE LUCKY
Over the years, I’ve witnessed some atrocious examples of leadership.
A few may send good people packing for greener pastures. They include:
Politically charged executive teams with each person pulling in a different direction. Who ends up suffering? The employees.
Managers who display overconfidence or unfettered arrogance that rubs people the wrong way.
Managers who appear checked out physically, mentally or both. They hide behind closed doors to avoid personal interaction and are conveniently busy at crucial times.
These unhealthy characteristics (and so many more) are far off the path of the type of leader employees will enthusiastically follow.
However, the good far outweighs the bad and the ugly. Let me highlight five positive behaviors of the most respected and effective leaders. If you work for such a person, it can be a sign that you shouldn’t quit in a huff.
1. Shows no fear of being wrong
Great leaders take a stand not because they think they’re always right and use that to push their weight around, but because they aren’t afraid of being wrong.
This takes a level of rarefied authenticity. Cocky and conceited leaders who proclaim their position and disregard differing opinions or points of view are leaders with few followers, mostly out of intimidation.
On the flip side, great leaders with loyal followers are secure enough to back down graciously when proved wrong. To them, it’s more important to find out what is right than being right.
They often will admit when they’re wrong, when they make a mistake or when they don’t have all the answers. Intellectual bullies? Rarely the case.
2. Listens more than speaks
Want to hear insecure leaders at work? Easy, just listen to their bragging, a mask for their insecurity. Confident leaders are unassuming and know what they think; they want to know what you think.
Practically speaking, great leaders allow their followers the freedom to think and be part of the conversation; they ask curious questions, lots of questions: how something is done, what you (the employee) like about it, what you learned from it and what you need in order to be better, more productive, more efficient, etc.
Great leaders with loyal followers realize they know a lot and seek to know even more. And they know the way to do that is to listen more.
3. Fosters a culture of respect
If there’s one toxic organizational pattern I’ve seen that will ultimately derail a team, it’s unrestrained gossip. Its damaging effects in the workplace include lost productivity and wasted time, divisiveness among employees, and morale and trust that are eroded over time.
This is where leaders with backbones and integrity will step in and say, “This stops here and now.” These leaders have a vision for fostering a positive work culture where respect, collaboration and teamwork protect against toxic behaviors, such as gossip, backstabbing and bullying.
On a personal and peer level, these leaders practice what they preach by steering clear of gossip or the need to speak badly of others in order to make themselves appear better by comparison. Their only concern is to be better each day.
4. Gives people the credit they deserve
Here’s a scenario that may sound familiar. The development team designs a wonderful new technology. The client is positively geeked about how much money and time this new system will save them.
And then it happens: The manager or executive steals the spotlight and takes all the credit for the work. No praise for the team, no celebration of everyone’s success, no recognition of team members for their contributions.
Great leaders with loyal followers don’t need the glory or seek validation; they understand what they’ve achieved. They shine the spotlight on others, then stand back and celebrate their accomplishments, which helps boost the confidence and trust of others.
5. Displays a confident humility
Confident and humble leaders have a loyal following because they’re not afraid to seek advice or input that will keep them on track and move them in the right direction.
These leaders have positional authority but don’t wield it through power and control over people and decisions. Instead, their humility allows for team members to take ownership and feel as though they’re invested in the business in an entrepreneurial way.
These confidently humble leaders breed honesty, will always admit their mistakes and won’t mind occasionally looking bad.
In fact, their humble confidence may even allow themselves to be the source of other people’s jokes at their expense. They know that when you’re real and unpretentious, and occasionally let your guard down to connect with others, people don’t laugh at you, they laugh with you.