Assertiveness, adaptability, intelligence, and conscientiousness are some of the most important leadership qualities to have in the construction industry. But it’s no coincidence that some of the most successful CEOs in history are also considered to be transformational leaders who value employees and inspire them to achieve their goals. Here are some tips for how to become a better construction leader.
- Assess your leadership skills. A good place to start is by learning about your current leadership style. An effective way to see the major characteristics of your dominant style is by taking a leadership style quiz to determine if you’re an authoritarian, participative, or more of a delegative boss. Although some of your leadership qualities are helping you, there could be some that are holding you and your employees back.
- Be transparent. Share important updates with your employees on a regular basis via company newsletters, emails, etc. so they don’t feel like they are left out of the loop. Presenting a clear and specific vision helps to keep employees empowered and aligned.
- Become an empathetic boss. Seeing things from an employee’s point of view can be challenging, but if you can show empathy, it becomes easier to address specific concerns.
- Learn how to lead a variety of generations. Some construction firms have employees from five different generations. But millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. labor force, and it takes a special approach to recruit and manage these younger employees because so much of their relational contact happens through technology. Today’s leaders have to overcome some unique challenges by finding effective ways to manage employees who may not have the best people skills, lower emotional intelligence, and less of an ability to handle interpersonal challenges. You should focus more on building one-on-one relationships with workers from younger generations to help their professional development.
- Promote optimism. Maintaining an optimistic attitude can be difficult during uncertain times, but good construction leaders will always stay positive to keep team members inspired. It doesn’t mean that you have to provide employees with false hope, but rather a sense of optimism by helping everyone stay present and focus on recent successes.
If you’re only worried about protecting your position and power then you’ll forget about the cause of the organization that you’re leading, along with the needs of your employees. Instead of being a self-serving leader, try some of these strategies to become a selfless leader that people really want to work for.
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