Promotion to first managerial position or new job as the manager? Congratulations! Now your responsibilities will include leading and motivating your team to accomplish the fixed goals for the organization.
However, if you have never been in a strong leadership role before this, you might feel a little intimidated by the thought of having a group of people working under you and looking to you for guidance and answers.
Many people, when faced with such a situation learnt through trial and error as to what will work and what will not. However, there are a few general aspects which can be focused upon to make transition smoother and easier. When you become a leader, you should focus on the needs and objectives of the subordinates as well as the peers.
To be known as a good leader, one should work on the path wherein he knows he is doing the thing which is right for all. When you hear the term leader, you immediately get the terms inspire in your mind, which is true for a leader as he is supposed to be inspirational.
However, what truly inspires people is a personal, one on one connection between them and the leader. What are the other points to be focused in this regards, let us have a look at them:-
Qualities of a Good Manager and Leader:
1. Use your current strengths to meet the fresh expectations:
When one gets promoted to a new position, his day to day activities, responsibilities and the overall role in the organizations will be changing and new challenges may follow. One of the foremost thought that strikes the mind is how can the skills, experiences and knowledge gained at the previous position be used for meeting the new challenges or how can it help them to adjust to the new role.
The thing to be understood here is that when we move in the effective leadership position, the work is more of orchestrating the work instead of doing it. You should identify the current strengths that you have and then build on them to fulfill the expectations that are attached with your new job.
2. Establish a strong relationship with your team:
This is one of the most common mistakes that most people make – they fail to develop a good working relationship with their team members. The peoples who are new leaders often focus more on the performance and productivity of the group and how they look to him as new boss.
However, this will be easier if the leader has developed and maintained good terms with them. Before you start establishing changes, get to know and understand your people. It could be not only related to their professional but their personal lives as well. Conduct a one on one meeting with them and create the necessary rapport with them.
3. Be open to new ways of looking at things:
The people that make the best of managers are flexible, adaptable and attached to the environment closely. They are good listeners and always on the lookout for opportunities.
The ideas that work best for process improvement are those which come from the employees who are closest to the work that is being done. Rigidity is the opponent of the progress and do not get stuck on doing the things the way they have been done always. Do not be afraid to shift the paradigm.
4. Make sure your employees have their focus right:
Be sure that the conduct, the job objectives of you employees reflects the focus that they have in their job. After all, a manager who has his employees’ objectives well measured and well conceived, has half his job done.
When created correctly at the beginning of the year, they will unfold as valuable guide for both the employees and the managers, as the year progresses.
5. Transparency is the key:
A non managerial employee doesn’t have access to complete information of the company that a manager has. However, being a good leader and a good manager now, lot of involvement is involved in the planning and strategy work and if you wish to be a good leader, you should keep your employees involved in the work going on in the organization and it helps if you keep them informed.
It makes the employees feel that their boss is communicative and one who treats them as their own. You can do this by sharing things like customer feedbacks, strategic plans and this makes them feel connected to the organization.
6. Recognize a good job done:
If you wish to build a culture that is great and dynamic, it is important that the employees are given their due. It should be ingrained in the team culture and it takes time.
Recognition of work done good or good efforts undertakes fosters a sense of positivity, togetherness and gratitude amongst the employees. Not only big wins, even small efforts should be appreciated.
7. Expect excellence:
You should set attainable but high standards for your team. Expect the employees to meet them thus pushing them towards excellence. Ultimately, the great leaders or great managers are not those who are nicest or toughest, but those who manage to get the best out of their employees.
If the employees know that you demand exceptionally high standards from them, this is something they would not forget and once you find excellence in them, they will find it in themselves too.
8. Develop trust and credibility:
If people trust you, they will tend to follow you more. When the employees follow you, the manager has his job done. Making them follow is the toughest part and once you achieve it, you are done.
Best leaders do not misuse and abuse their power, rather they build trust by using their powers. Trust and respect is based on the expectations of the leader who is compassionate towards his team members. With trust comes honesty, integrity, compassion, good relations and fairness.
9. Be there to help them:
A leader should have great interpersonal skills and he doesn’t lead by hiding behind the desk, instead he leads from the front. Be there for your employees, make them shine. Show them they deserve the best and that you will be there to help them, to make them succeed in their endeavors.
You can do this by mentoring, coaching, communicating and listening to them. Try and help them improve the skills, guide them for better chances of promotion, share the vision, mission and goals with them.
Let them say their ideas, concerns and make them aware that you are approachable. Show the caring side of a leader and a manager. The main point being that you are focusing on their development, up gradation of their skills and hoping for their better future growth.
10. Communicate regularly by providing useful feedback:
Communication is fundamental to a sound ad better management system. Provide the required feedback to the team members – both negative and positive. It is a core skill for good manager.
Be accessible and make yourself available to those who need you. Even if you are present in a remote office like client site or at an overseas location, be there and be connected through text, through emails and phone.
11. Don’t duck conflict, deal with it:
Conflicts can be prevented. However they should never be ignored but dealt directly. Personal issues, recognition, compensation, retrenchment issues are some of the topics that can lead to conflicts. Avoidance might look tempting, however it is better to look in their eye and address the problem fairly and quickly.
Employees are observers and they notice who takes action at needed times and who takes action without being necessary. Everyone respects managers who confront tough times and those who ignore, lose their respect in the eyes of the team members.
12. Make decisions and be accountable:
When you develop the above mentioned skills, you will be guiding your team in the right direction and make the correct decisions. For it to happen, you need to sift through the data for relevant facts. You can talk to experts in the subject, if needed.
The main aim should be of cost cutting, both in long and in short terms. Another thing is that once you have thought about and made a decision, do not sway away from it easily. Shaken confidence and person with fickle mind is never looked at in times of tough decisions.
Conclusion:
A person as a leader, as a manager is expected to take some risks and make decisions. In some times, people are held accountable as well as responsible but that is part of the job. The leader should know when to lead and when to follow, depending upon the circumstances. Trust your employees and their suggestions.
By following the above mentioned points, you will surely become one of the best managers and leaders. Do not show favoritism. Be open to answers when you don’t have them yourself. Do not hurt team morale and be impartial and unbiased to maintain respect.
