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Bosses Who Rock at Their Jobs 

Do you seek to lead a productive team? Do you want your staff’s full support? Are your employees eager to come to work each day? Bosses empowered with certain management skills bring the best out of staff.

5 Characteristics of Bosses Who Rock at their Jobs

Leadership experts cite five characteristics of bosses who rock at their jobs. Here are qualities to acquire, in order to be a great leader within your team and organisation overall.

GRATITUDE

Employees readily go the extra mile when they feel valued. Each time you show a worker you appreciate their input and output, you’re fostering dedication. So when the need for extra effort arises, your staff will more willingly comply. They’ll also be more flexible when the unexpected develops. How do you express gratitude for work well-done? Here are employee appreciation ideas that are powerful forms of praise:

-Feature a crackerjack employee in your company newsletter. Canvass co-workers for kudos, and add their positive comments to yours.

-Write a personal letter, detailing what you appreciate about your staff member. Send a copy to senior management, and place a copy in your employee’s file.

-Use a reward system, such as movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, or a paid day off.

-Arrange lunch for an outstanding employee with a senior staff member.

-Treat your team to a catered lunch, celebrating a group achievement.

INTEGRITY

Do your words and actions match? Do you follow through on what you intend to do? Are you professional? If so, here’s a high five! Why is integrity crucial? It garners respect and goodwill. When workers hold you in high esteem, you’ll obtain their cooperation.

Here are examples of integrity:

-Working as a team player.

-Being honest and ethical.

-Remaining calm and collected when subject to stress.

-Modelling excellence in customer service.

COMPASSION

Kindness toward your staff contributes to their health. Psychology Today cites a British study of 6,000 office employees where workers who believed their supervisors treated them well had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease. Furthermore, according to reputation expert Pamela Johnston, you benefit from benevolence as well.  To develop this trait it’s important to understand a worker’s circumstances, feel their emotion, mentally put yourself in their shoes and earnestly want to help them

Bosses who rock on their jobs don’t treat employees like machines. They give staff some slack when the curve balls of life throw them off track. Compassion improves relationships, which increases productivity.

HUMILITY

If you want to endear yourself as a leader, be down-to-earth. A 2014 study published in Administrative Science Quarterly found that managers who exhibit humility promote better staff performance. If the concept of humility rubs you the wrong way, don’t think it implies being spineless. Humility has two faces: Meek and submissive – “I’m the dust of the earth” or teachable – “I’m open to suggestions.”

The second form of modesty generates success. Here are five ways to cultivate this trait:

1. Ask your staff’s opinions. At meetings, solicit ideas and feedback from employees.

2. Admit errors. Also, share how you recovered from them. This shows your resourcefulness and earns the trust of your team.

3. Be at peace with uncertainty. Release the burden of feeling that you must know and control everything. You can wait on decisions until you have more information. You can step back, and let answers naturally unfold.

4. Reflect on results. Take mental notes on what you’ve learned from a problem. It’s also helpful to chronicle the outcome. By documenting what went well or poorly, you’ll handle the matter better next time.

5. Capitalise on the strengths of your team. In areas where you lack certain skills, let others showcase their strengths. Give them a chance to shine.

HUMOUR

President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Humour is the art of leadership, of getting along with people and getting things done.” A survey by Robert Half, the California human resource consulting firm, found that 84 percent of executives believe employees with a good sense of humour perform better than those who are sombre. So work to not only have a sense of humour, but build social capital among employees. Laughter and humour can improve: collaboration, communication, creativity, productivity, trust, morale and customer service.

When you add these to your skill set, you’ll have the leading edge!

Author: JP George grew up in a small town in Washington. After receiving a Master’s degree in Public Relations, JP has worked in a variety of positions, from agencies to corporations all across the globe. Experience has made JP an expert in topics relating to leadership, talent management, and organisational business.

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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