There is no magic recipe for leadership. It’s a learning process that can be long sometimes. It’s especially hard because often, you simply don’t know where to start. Here are a few tricks you could implement tomorrow, and that will put you on the right path. They are actually very simple attitudes, that are good for any situation, but have very specific effects on leadership.
Listen to your employees, and give them a real chance to convince you. The fact that you are in a position of power does not mean you have nothing more to learn. It’s more likely to be the contrary. You have your strengths, and your employees also do. Use their specialties, put them forward, and make sure they feel valued for them. It is not a show of weakness, it actually shows your humility. Leadership is not about being the best, it is about being trusted. If people don’t feel respected, they’ll never trust you.
Simplicity will bring you much farther than you might think. We’re often looking for that complicated solution that solves everything, when we should be looking for a simpler solution, that would solve the problem much quicker. Solutions to simplify your management style are varied. You actually probably do a few already. The important is doing them. If making lists helps you get organized, do one every day, even if you think you don’t need one that day. No matter the technique you decide to pick, stick to it. If your methods seems more efficient, your employees will want to follow them.
Transparency is essential in management. It is very important not to put yourself on a pedestal compared to your employees. They must feel at ease with you, and be able to come to you if they ever have a problem. It’s hard sometimes, because your title creates a fake sentiment of superiority. You must find a way to get closer to your employees, and make every one of your actions clear to them. If they are wondering why you acted a certain way, they aren’t looking at you with a very good eye. Like the other tricks, it’s a base, that you must maintain at all times. If your employees see all these things in you, the leadership will soon cease to be a problem.