6 Ways to Be a Better Leader in 2022

Most people would do anything to get the role of manager. Be it for the respect that is associated with this tag, a pay raise, or even for the feeling of satisfaction for achieving a career milestone. While the position has its own benefits, it can also be overwhelming and ineffective if not managed properly. What are the skills required to become a good leader? Scroll down to know!

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No matter where you are at this point in your professional life, there comes a time when you’ll be handed a leadership role, where you are the torchbearer for your team. You will be expected to hit the ground running, especially when your company is in need of better outcomes from your team.

Managing and motivating your team, knowing your team’s strengths, and getting the best out of them during every project are all part of your daily routine at work. You probably have an idea of dealing with a team by watching your manager, but, developing the leadership mindset is easier said than done.

So, if you recently handed over a role as a team leader/manager or being a manager is on your checklist; you should start developing certain skills to succeed in your role to build your reputation as a great leader.

Here are the 6 ways to practice the art of leadership.

1. Incorporate “Radical Transparency”

Kimberly B. Cummings, a career and leadership development expert says, “The higher up you go in the workplace, the more secrecy there is”, and we quite believe in this. Most leaders in any organization tend to involve only the “inner circle” – the management, in certain decisions. As these decisions directly affect the employees and your teammates, it is a good practice to ask for feedback or advice from them before bringing that important update to the public.

If handled properly, radical transparency comes with a multitude of benefits.

In most corporate companies, it is common for employees to have ambiguous job titles. Many co-workers tend to wonder what exactly they do for the company. When there’s radical transparency, all the employees’ work responsibilities are kept open, so they can motivate each other to get the tasks done.
The manager can put forth the problem areas of the company in open when radical transparency is followed. So, the entire team has a common goal, which is a benefit from the company’s perspective.
A radically transparent leader shares the information about the competitors too. So, your team can form a reliable strategy together to best your competitors.

2. Study your team!

Being a leader isn’t just about confirming assignments and assessing your employees’ work performance. Leads/managers ought to make it their responsibility to comprehend their team, understand individuals in their group as people. They should also know who has been in the team previously and how they were dealt with. After completing this comprehensive study, you as a manager can let your team evolve as an ecosystem as you know every nook and crook of it.

When working as a team, as you know, the success of one automatically drives the success of the entire team.

3. Don’t hesitate to seek mentorship

You may be newly given the opportunity as a manager and you find it difficult to embark on this leadership journey. This is when you will need a mentor. Reach out to your favorite manager of your previous companies or anyone from your close circle and ask them for a piece of advice to guide you through the process. That being said, don’t hesitate to take feedback from your mentors on the work you do. After all, your motto should be to become a great manager and lead a team with purpose.

4. Don’t Wait for Performance Reviews

If you have been working under someone all these years and the leadership role is pretty new for you, you might find it difficult to persuade your team to complete the work. Not being able to manage your new team doesn’t mean you are a bad manager.

Start with developing your relationship with your immediate supervisor. Instead of waiting for him/her to evaluate your performance as a manager, put yourself in a position to highlight and inform how you have performed so far and what are you looking forward to.

Also, don’t be afraid to correct their narrative of the scope of the work you can do. If you feel they do not have a complete understanding of what your capabilities are, let them know. This way you can improve your relationship with your superior, which in turn will help you communicate your ideas better with your team.

5.Demonstrate Empathy

According to a study by DDI research firm, empathy is one of the key drivers for the overall performance of a team. Leads with empathetic behavior towards employees are considered great performers by most of the bosses. But, why?

Showcasing favoritism is a common practice in most organizations, which only leads to the overall failure of the team. What managers should practice instead is being empathetic. Compassionate and empathetic managers can understand the emotions of each of their team members, so they can communicate effectively and solve internal problems with the team with much ease.

Most employees trust managers with empathy and build rapport with them, which leads to the team’s success.

6. Delegate Right Tasks to the Right Ones

The responsibility of a leader is not just to assign tasks for each member of the team but to assign them in accordance with the talent and potential of team members. A good manager understands each employee within the team very well and delegates work, allowing them to learn new skills to develop new strengths, which they might not otherwise know they have.

Good managers delegate tasks to improve the overall efficiency of the organization. Assigning the right tasks as per the potential motivates the team members to put in their best efforts.

Conclusion

Being a leader is not just about handling your own responsibilities but also your team’s with great responsibility.

You will be kept in a position to deliver tasks on time while earning respect and trust from your team members. A good leader will know how to strike a balance between work and mental health of employees and they cultivate happiness at work to encourage every team member to be the best version of themselves. That being said, it is not possible to become a great manager overnight. You must put in consistent efforts to witness improvement.

So, are you ready to follow these steps to become a great leader?

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“ A good manager is not a person who can do the work better than his men; he is a person who can get his men to do the work better than he can.”

– Frederick W. Smith

Publish: January 4, 2022

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