Every team needs a leader. It doesn’t matter if we’re discussing a sports team, a political party, or a business. Having said that, what is leadership in the workplace? This term actually refers to the ability to manage and supervise a company and its employees. It refers to the ability of an individual to inspire their workers to perform better and enhance efficiency in a way that will result in the company’s success. It’s not a secret that not all employers are good leaders. In this case, can one become a better leader in the workplace?
My name is Ofir Bar, a veteran investor with a special interest in entrepreneurs and startups. I truly believe that a successful leader in the workplace can vastly enhance the performance of their employees. For this reason, I’ve decided to help you get a better understanding of the set of skills required to lead a company and its workers to success.
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The five milestones of great leadership
Being a leader in the workplace requires a more holistic approach to business management. You have to love it. The foundation of leadership lies in caring about employees, the business, and its goals. Caring is not nature. It’s nurture. I truly believe that once a boss gets to know their employees as people, they just can’t be indifferent to their welfare. With that in mind, here are five traits that I believe are essential for being a true leader.
- Motivation - A leader ought to inspire their employees so they go the extra mile. This can be done by recognizing their achievements and rewarding them, giving them new responsibilities, and asking for their opinion and input.
- Delegation - Distributing some of your tasks to your employees has two advantages: On the one hand, it’ll free you to deal with management tasks. On the other hand, involving workers in tasks that have a direct impact on the company’s performance will consequently create a sense of responsibility for the business in them. Therefore they will care more about the business’ performance. I know that initially, it’s not easy to let go of control and trust your employees with sensitive tasks. However, if you wish to be a better leader, you’ll have to start doing so at some point.
- Empathy - As mentioned before, it’s essential to care about your employees. This means understanding their wants, wishes, and concerns. Doing so will improve the atmosphere in the workplace, in addition to helping you to gain the trust and respect of your workers.
- Confidence - Believe in your abilities, and believe in the abilities of your staff. Although it’s possible that from time to time you’ll be disappointed with their performance, faith is a powerful tool to increase the chances of success. No one can succeed without believing in oneself. Help your employees by believing in them.
- Approachability - An employee who doesn’t feel comfortable and fears their boss might not ask questions, and might not speak about their concerns and opinions, and therefore will under-perform. Be an approachable boss. Be open and honest, smile, and throw a joke every once in a while. It’ll improve how your employees feel around you, and how they feel about the workplace, not to mention it will cheer you up on tiring days and hard times.
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We deserve better
We spend approximately a third of our adult life at work. Don’t we deserve to feel good about our careers? Yes, we do! When people feel good about their workplace, they work better and more efficiently. That’s a no-brainer. Asides from that, a good relationship between a manager and their workers will help everyone have a more pleasant time together. If you ask me, the ideal for a business is to reach a situation in which people enter the workplace in a good mood, and leave it at the end of the day with, at least, the tiniest of smiles. Sounds utopian? I don’t think so. Achieving this is definitely possible. It just takes some time, effort, and willpower.