Having a role in any type of leadership position is never an easy task. You will always be met with challenges throughout your day and it’s how you react to these changes that define you as a leader. A good leader is exceptional at what they do and they care about those that they’re leading. When you’re in an elevated position at your job, you have more eyes on you which makes it important to strive to be a positive leader to your team members.
Be supportive
A positive leader supports their team. No one is going to be perfect and sometimes they’ll have to make the same mistake a couple of times before they learn how to do it right. Remain patient with them and take the time to help them. A bad leader does not make time to grow and develop their employees. Even if your time is limited, you must reevaluate your list of priorities to make the time for those that need it.
If your employee struggles in some areas, encourage them to get additional training so they become more confident in what they do, such as steering them in the direction of np review. A good leader cares about their employee’s development and spends time supporting them as much as necessary. It’s important to take into consideration that different people will need different types of support. Take time getting to know what your employees need most from you.
Have a positive attitude
If a leader has a negative attitude all the time, chances are, their employees will too. It’s good to go into the workday with an open mind and embrace new changes and challenges with optimism. It’s hard to look forward to working and enjoying your job if your leader always has something negative to say. Try to stay positive as much as possible because you have people who look up to you.
Everyone is human and they’re going to have negative feelings sometimes, but you have to learn how to not project these on your employees. If you’re not happy about something happening in your company, project these feelings upwards to your management instead of downwards. Chances are, they’ll have more information to provide you with the reassurance you need.
Be empathetic
Being a leader is learning how to be empathetic. It’s okay to get frustrated every once in a while, but you have to keep your composure. Life is not always easy, and there could be a chance your employee is going through more than what they tell you. Since you don’t know what your employee’s life is like outside of work, practice showing empathy as much as possible. Empathy is not always feeling bad for your employee, but it’s considering their feelings.
Leading by example
A good leader leads by example. If you want your employees to do the best job possible, you should do the same as well. If your employees see you as someone who is not afraid to dive into the work and get their hands dirty, they may be encouraged to do the same. Your employees likely look up to you and may even strive to be a leader like you someday. Find ways to inspire your employees and encourage them to strive to do better.
Own up to your mistakes
If you make a mistake as a leader, it’s important to acknowledge and own up to it. There is not a single perfect person on this planet that does not make any mistakes in their life. You will make mistakes and it will not always feel the greatest, but they are important lessons in the workplace. Making a mistake is not the end of the world, and it’s often a lesson to learn from. Showing your employees that it’s okay to make mistakes from time to time puts a human touch on things.
Being a good leader is important. You’re not expected to be perfect, but you should treat your employees with respect and take the time to help them. Get to know them so you can find ways to encourage them to do their best.
Great post, Tanveer. I agree with your points, especially the supportive role positive leaders can take on to empower their employees and coworkers. I also think that anyone at an organization can be a leader, it is not simply a title. Excellent leaders also usually have a vision of where the organization is going and the best way to get there. With the positive attributes you have outlined, they can steer the ship towards that vision.
100% agree with you, Jonathan, that anybody can be a leader. A real leader doesn’t need a title to inspire and influence the best in those around them. As you said, what’s key is having a vision that rallies people together willing to commit their best efforts to making it happen. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, on this, Jonathan. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Tanveer. Very motivating and inspiring post. I believe that those around is feed off our energy. It is important that as leaders we remain positive. Who would want to follow a pessimistic, glass 1/2 full leader? Having a positive attitude, I feel is essential to effective leadership. While there will be frustrations and complexities within the scope of leadership, we must always remember to keep a positive attitude because those we lead are watching how we respond. As you stated, we must lead by example. If we want positive employees, we must be a positive leader. Thank you
My pleasure, Brittney; I’m glad you enjoyed it. There’s no question that as a leader you set the tone for your team/organization. That’s why it’s so important that we understand our emotions and not only the impact it has on those we have the responsibility to lead, but also how it influences their understanding of things. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Brittney.
Hi Tanveer, I enjoyed this post. Your bullet about positivity is a good one. I find there is a fine line between being transparent with my employees about things going on in the company so that they feel included and telling them too much and causing anxiety or negativity. Many of them want me to be candid, but the consequences are that they may not have the same “eh, it’s just company politics” that people in upper management have grown accustomed to. Your post pushes me to reflect upon what I share and what I keep at my level. Thanks again.
Hi Polly, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. You’re right that there is a balancing act in terms of what a leader needs to share with their team as you don’t (and shouldn’t) be an open book. A great way to help assess what to share is to ask what’s the value/benefit it creates for your employees? Does it create greater clarity over why certain measures/initiatives are being undertaken? Does it give them better context for how their contributions move the organization’s goals forward? Will it make them feel a sense of belonging and that others see them?
Or is this just to expose, as you said Polly, the office politics that goes on in the organizational levels above them? Are we burdening them with information that has no impact on their ability to achieve their goals? Or worse, that could potentially distract them to focus on non-mission critical work?
Seen from this lens, if it’s to create the former, sharing is definitely in the best interests of the team. If it only creates the latter, it’s best to keep it to yourself. Thanks again, Polly, for sharing your thoughts on this!