Do Your Managers Possess the 5 Key Leadership Skills?

Succeeding in business most definitely depends on people. People don’t usually manage themselves, and many managers are not trained to manage the people who report to them. This gap can cause a drag on the success of your business and cause a drain of valuable time, talent and profit.

Being a good manager requires an understanding of and a devotion to people development. A good manager or business owner makes the clear transition from employee and begins to develop specific skills that grow a team, a department, and a business. Are you as a business owner, or your managers fulfilling the role of a people developer, and not just a process manager?

An effective manager or business owner spends much of their time managing people and setting an example employees can look up to. Here are 5 learnable leadership skills you and your managers should pursue and master:

Be a Good Communicator

• Send clear messages – leave no room for misinterpretation.
• Set clear expectations – Are those expectations realistic and commensurate with the team’s abilities?
• Be approachable – Communication is a two-way street.
• Communicate efficiently – Know the best method of communication for the situation.

Learn to Team Build

• Understand that the whole team is greater than any one individual.
• Empower all team members to contribute – Find ways to shore up weaknesses.
• Think “we” and not “I”, “us” and not “them” – Help others to understand the team concept.
• Look at the big picture – But don’t live there, focus on tactics and short-term goals as well.

Mentor your Staff

• Share your experiences – Your value comes partly from your experience and even your failures.
• Teach by setting a good example, serve from the bottom up – servant leadership.
• Offer consistent praise & constructive feedback – Know your employees and what motivates them.
• Help with career development and personal growth – Take time to understand each individual.

Be a Good Delegator

• Don’t try to do it all yourself – You may be the best at something, but not better than a team.
• Give employees the right tools – Tools might be skills training, technology, clear goals, or support.
• Avoid micro-managing – Allow people to do their jobs, focus on results.
• Give authority equally alongside responsibility – Freedom and accountability go hand in hand.
• Delegate projects and avoid pulling things back when it’s not going as planned.

Focus on Production

• Create the process, teach the people, and step out of the way – People work best when giving room to do their jobs.
• Be results oriented, not a process manager – Set the process and systems, and then hold accountability for results.
• Manage your time wisely – Employees respect managers that manage themselves well.
• Lead by example – Get the job done using whatever tools you have to support your team.

Managing employees is a learned skill, you must constantly learn and improve. A good manager will always be working to strengthen employee relationships and seeks input from all concerned. Nothing is gained by “lording over” employees, “servant leadership” means teaching by example and being willing to serve your team for the best outcome possible.

Infinium offers Management Leadership training to all our client’s as part of our service. If you feel the need to bring your managers up a notch, talk to our HR experts today at info@infiniumgroup.com.