How To Be The Boss You Wish You Had

The following is a guest post by Theresa Ashby.  Her bio follows

After years of climbing the corporate ladder, most of us would like to think we have a pretty solid idea of how to be a great boss – especially after working alongside an assortment of “personalities” that have taught us what tactics are successful and which ones are simply ineffective. Yet, even with so much growth and experience at our backs, performing well in an executive leadership role is always more challenging than we first expect. With decades of studying the ins and outs of the corporate structure behind me, I’ve learned a few key tips that can help any aspiring leader become a great boss.

VALUE YOUR STAFF

This is the most important tip to consider. Many newly appointed corporate leaders make the common mistake of trying to force their staff into an ideal, and unrealistic model of what they want to see – much in the same way that one might try to cram a square peg into a round hole. Unfortunately, this strategy simply doesn’t work. Instead, the best leaders are the ones who understand each of their employees and engage them in the way that suits their individual personalities. By valuing your team’s assorted strengths and weaknesses and by learning their personal communication styles and personality preferences, you can then develop the best ways to motivate and set them up for success.

It may sound tedious, but taking a few minutes every day to get to know your staff better is a good way to earn respect and trust among your employees. This caring and vital approach to leadership will not just create a much more comfortable working environment, it will set the course for better efficiency and productivity.

Here are a few questions that every boss should ask himself/herself at the end of the day:

• How did I do today?
• How did I lead my team, and how did I treat my team?
• What can I do better tomorrow?

 As a boss, you constantly need to develop and have some introspection about who you are and observe how you are leading your employees. In turn, you need to make sure your staff is learning and growing and have the opportunities to be a part of the organization. There is no completely right or wrong answer to these introspective questions, yet they will help keep your management style in check.

BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COMPANY – AND YOUR TEAM!

This one is a bit trickier. While making sure that you are adding a very “human” element to your management style, there is always that nagging corporate concern of meeting the dreaded bottom line. That’s right – as far as the higher ups are concerned you need to be 100 percent aware of the numbers they are gunning for at the end of every quarter.

This is why you may have seen, in your past experience, a supervisor go “off the rails” in a frenzied attempt to increase profit and productivity, while disregarding the morale of the team. Not good! Ultimately, a great boss will be accountable to both his/her staff and those in the C-suite. Once you can prove to both your team and upper management that you are a results-driven powerhouse, respect and faith in you as a leader will swell – just don’t let it go to your head!

In addition, accountability also means taking responsibility for the successes and failures of your entire team, and being careful not to throw any employee “under the bus” (a huge misstep that can spur on mutiny). Accepting responsibility may not always be a comfortable task, but it can garner a tremendous amount respect from above and below. That alone, is a HUGE part of being a leader.

 BE TRANSPARENT

Keeping employees informed on how the company is fairing overall—not necessarily disclosing everything—is a concept that many corporations have shied away from in the past. Yet, keeping employees in the dark seems to only create a sense of distrust and resentment across the board – especially if there are outside rumors and rumblings in the media and press. Many bosses make the error of not informing team members when the company is down, thinking that such information might lead to an “abandon ship” situation. On the contrary, employees will often see this urgent information as a cue to right the course. If you have created a workplace that is highly coveted by your team, they will do whatever it takes to help. In this case, honesty really is the best policy.

Being a great boss is about truly valuing the individuals on your team and providing them with the motivation they crave, while staying responsible to the mission of the company. In order to be the boss you wish you had, you have to present yourself as that boss and be the person people want to follow. It is an age-old balancing act that will not only keep you in leadership, it will secure your place as one of the greatest bosses in the minds and hearts of your valued employees.

ABOUT DR. THERESA ASHBY:

Dr. Theresa Ashby, PhD, MBA, is the president and CEO of Dynam Consulting. A strategist, advisor and thought-partner by nature, she motivates professionalism and helps clients create a culture of empowerment by delivering groundbreaking strategic plans and processes. With a doctorate in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles, an MBA from University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif., an M.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, and an undergraduate degree in public administration from University of La Verne in La Verne, Calif., Dr. Ashby possesses a deep understanding of human behavior and organizational processes.

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