Brilliant bosses work hard at several things, consistently and effectively – and in particular they make work meaningful and enjoyable for employees.
They’re most successful when they adhere to a few best practices:
Manage individuals, not just teams. When you’re under pressure it is easy to forget that employees have varying interests, abilities, goals, and styles of learning. Take time to check in on people, understand what makes each person tick so that you can customize your interactions with them.
Purpose matters: go big on meaning. Inspire people with a vision, set challenging goals, and articulate a clear purpose. Don’t rely on incentives or socialising.
Provide constructive feedback. Use regular (at least weekly) one-on-one conversations for coaching. Make the feedback clear, honest, and constructive, it’s a great way to show someone that they are valued.
Listen – don’t just talk. Pose problems and challenges, and then ask questions to enlist the entire team in generating solutions.
Be consistent. Be open to new ideas in your management style, vision, expectations, and feedback. If change becomes necessary, acknowledge it quickly.
Be self-aware. Understand your own strengths and areas for improvement, your impact and the shadow you cast as a leader, your values, and know what you want to accomplish.
