Being a great manager means understanding how your leadership style impacts others. While some focus on grand gestures, good managers know that small intentional actions can make a big impact. Practice these five simple tactics to be a great leader.
Share The Big Picture
Skilled managers possess the ability to switch back and forth between small details and the big picture. Being able to frame how an employee’s individual work contributes to the larger goals of the team, department, and company is important. It not only shows a direct report that their leader is aware of their efforts, but also appreciates their hard work. Great managers share the big picture ongoing with their teams to connect tasks to the overall company mission.
Publicly Ask For Opinions
In group settings and meetings, publicly asking for a direct report’s opinion demonstrates you value their insight and want others to hear their perspective. Both building up their own confidence and establishing them as an expert in their field, this small act shows that you trust their judgement. Great leaders recognize that relying on others for their subject matter expertise demonstrates a strong level of humility and respect for colleagues. With even the most skilled presenters having public speaking fears, directly asking for an individual’s opinion will help them speak up in future conversations.
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Create Space In Conversations
Great leaders are open and active listeners while insecure managers “talk at” their employees. Managers that put forth ideas and ask for feedback bolster an employee’s ideation, creative thinking, and decision-making capabilities. Creating space in conversations for debating and collaborating enables stronger ideas to materialize. Openness also comes in the form of being flexible and understanding of people needing to work in a way that best suits them. This could be taking time off or fluctuating their work schedule. Exceptional leaders are open to discussions on a worker seeking to change their role, workload, or responsibilities. Managers should encourage their employees to do self check-ins and applaud them for communicating their needs.
Remain Calm During Stressful Situations
Work can be ambiguous and stressful at times. When these situations occur, employees need to trust that their leader will be steady and resilient, providing a clear path forward. Leaders that are grounded and calm convey strength and positivity. Even if a manager personally feels anxious or uncertain, demonstrating an outward face of assuredness will foster a similar mindset in their direct reports. This allows coworkers to focus on progress, rather than be distracted by worrying about the outcome. Great leaders let their employees express their concerns and respond with confidence in success coming to fruition.
Celebrate The Small Wins
It’s easy to focus on achieving big milestones in the workplace and forget all the small successes that needed to happen in order to get there. Great managers frequently celebrate team accomplishments. According to a study by OnePoll, 87% of Americans feel that small wins are crucial for powering through the day. In long-term and demanding work endeavors, employees can sometimes feel like their efforts are futile. Reminding the team of their successes creates a positive culture and propels future achievements.
Taking these small actions on an ongoing basis will help teams flourish. Make these five behaviors habitual to become a great leader and solid support system for your colleagues.
