5 ways to become a better leader
Being a good leader at work means understanding your team and communicating clearly with them. It's important to listen, admit when you're wrong, give feedback, and understand that your employees are people.
A lot of leaders don't do all these things because they see their workers as disposable—but it's dangerous to think this way. You might have noticed that some of the best companies in the world have a philosophy of hiring the best people and keeping them around forever (or at least until they retire). This isn't just fluff; these companies know how hard it is to find good talent, so they're willing to take care of their employees for life.
Communicate with your team.
Communication is key to being a good manager. If you want your team to be successful, then it's important that you communicate with them on a regular basis. You should also make an effort to communicate in a way that is comfortable for both you and your employees.
Listen to your team.
Listening is more than hearing your employee's words. It's about truly understanding what they're saying and what they're not saying. It's about paying attention to body language, tone of voice and word choice. Listening has been said to be the most important skill for managers at work because it allows them to understand their team members better—and thus make decisions that are more effective for everyone involved.
Admit when you're wrong.
Humans are imperfect. We all make mistakes, often on a daily basis. The key to being a great manager is recognizing when you've made a mistake, then admitting it and owning up to it—even if that means admitting you don't know something or asking someone else for help.
If you're working with people who respect your opinions and trust your leadership skills, they'll be more likely to forgive an occasional misstep and focus on the big picture: that the work will get done regardless of whether it's done right the first time around. But these same employees may start questioning their trust in you if they feel like they're constantly catching you in lies or omissions about things like deadlines or project statuses because of how much time went into getting something exactly right (which naturally makes sense). It's not easy for anyone involved when it comes down to making honest mistakes like this as part of one's job responsibilities—but managers especially have an obligation not only because their actions impact others directly but also because those same colleagues might later become managers themselves someday!
Give feedback frequently.
Give feedback on a regular basis.
Provide feedback in a timely manner.
Give feedback in private settings (where you have time and space to discuss performance).
Make sure that your feedback is about the task, behaviour, or outcome as well as the process for achieving it.
Know your employees are people, not just workers.
This might sound obvious, but it's not. Treat your employees like people, not just workers. In fact, the best managers treat their employees like family members: they care about them and want to help them do well in their careers. As a manager, you can show this by being friendly and caring—and not just managing your team through email or text messages!