Managing people is such a great opportunity, a gift, even. Imagine being given a chance to lead, equip, and motivate people to strive for success. An enormous responsibility which, unfortunately, not every boss can fulfill.
To be a boss or a leader is a role that no one should take lightly because you play a big part in people’s careers and future. It is best if you also remembered that your people’s success is the gauge of your success. The responsibility sounds daunting, but we all start somewhere, and you can always improve along the way.
Continuous learning is vital.
You need to work on five critical roles if you want to improve your leadership skills. Once you have mastered these areas, transitioning from one to the other will be easy. In general, working on these skills will help you develop into becoming a more effective and well-rounded boss.
A perk? You will soon see the fruits of your labor as your direct reports achieve greater heights in their careers.
How to be a better boss? Take the time to identify the five critical roles you will be filling and learn how to do them effectively.
5 Critical Roles of a Great Boss
Communicator
To be a great boss, you need to be able to communicate with your direct reports in a manner that is effective, timely, and appropriate. When we say effective communication, this means you take the time to listen to your team, address their needs and concerns in a timely manner, and communicate your thoughts appropriately and positively.
It would help if you practiced the art of listening and acknowledging other people’s opinions and suggestions. Doing this will help create a positive and safe atmosphere in the office. Keep in mind that employees who feel more secure, heard, and valued at work are more productive and driven.
Mentor
To be a mentor is to help the employee build the foundations of their careers. Mentoring means helping them identify areas that they are good at and areas that they can still improve on depending on their career goals in life. Moreover, it is your job to help them build the skills for them to do their jobs well. In short, set them up for success.
The right guidance can lead a person to their success, and you, as the boss, should provide that guidance.
Manager
To be a boss means knowing how to delegate tasks according to capabilities and skills. You need to know your direct report’s current skills and potentials to assign tasks relevant to their job descriptions. To be a boss is never about doing things on your own. It is all about identifying how you can get the job done as a collective group and in the most effective manner.
Learner
A boss knows his skills and how to apply them in the workplace. A great boss strives to learn more so he or she can make the current process better. Innovation is crucial to leadership. In a very dynamic business world, you must evolve and continuously learn so you can lead your entire team to more significant successes.
Continue to seek training to enhance your skills further, acquire new proficiency levels, and seek ways to improve your management abilities. There is always something new to learn.
Planner
As a boss, you need to be familiar and attuned to the organization’s vision and goals. This goal alignment allows you to identify strategies that can help the company and your team succeed in a manner aligned to the company’s values and mission.
You need to plan daily, weekly, monthly, and even annual goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and within a reasonable timeframe (SMART). Planning and effective planning are two different things. A great boss knows the difference and is willing to go the extra mile to see that plans do not just end up gathering dust on the drawing board but instead implemented successfully.
If you want to be a great boss, do a self-evaluation and check if you are doing the roles above. If you are, then you are on the right track. But if not, consider this as your opportunity to work on one of the roles: being a learner.
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