11/8/2017:
Good leadership is the key to good employee retention. Surveys consistently show that one of the top factors leading to job satisfaction is getting along with your boss. If you know this, then it’s time to ask yourself if you’re doing what it takes to be a good leader for your team. Let’s go over some of the wrong ways and right ways to lead.
The Wrong Approach
Let’s start with what not to do. We’ve all been around the type of manager where you wonder how on earth they got to be where they are. They lack empathy and tact and they either seem clueless or overinvolved in the details. As we pick this apart, you’ll start to see some themes emerge. Here are some of the common leadership mistakes:
- Being close-minded.
- Using poor communication (doesn’t return phone calls, avoids issues).
- Lack of vision; doesn’t have a clear idea of where the team is going.
- Not being open to new ideas.
- Being unavailable or absent.
- Yelling and screaming instead of taking someone aside to speak with them calmly.
- Micromanaging; not giving people enough space to do what they do well.
- Inability to manage a diverse group of people from different generations and backgrounds with care.
