3 Ways to Become a Leader That Everyone Wants to Work For

Having a bi-weekly potluck is never going to be enough.

The overarching question is while everyone has the ability to manage a group of people, does everybody have the ability to lead?

The answer to that question is ‘yes’.

You don’t have to be the boss that walks into the breakroom and your direct reports instantly get quiet because they are talking crap about you. The manager that makes everyone question how you managed to land your role.

It takes work, time, and energy.

You can grow your leadership skills in such a way that will not only make other department heads look up to you, but employees will want to work for you.

#1 — Identify your strengths

Everybody has things that they are good at and things that they are bad at.

As a leader, it’s up to you to figure out what skills and responsibilities are your strengths and weaknesses.

A good practice to do this is to create a ‘T-chart’.

Think about all of the qualities you deem the most important for a leader to have. Is it having an even temper? How about effective conflict resolution?

Whatever those qualities are, list them on one side of the chart. Then, circle the ones that you are confident in your ability to enact.

Those are your strengths.

After you’ve finished circling those, then, identify qualities that you oppose within a leader. Once that list is compiled, circle the qualities that you think you exhibit.

Those are your weaknesses.

Spend time either working on practicing your strengths or eliminating your weaknesses.

Admit when you’ve failed

To fail is an innate part of being human.

No matter how good you think you are at something, you are bound to fail at least once.

Whether it’s failing at fully training an employee or your business plan not quite meeting the monthly quota, failing is a part of life.

As a good leader, it’s your responsibility to be honest about and own your defeats. There are things that you can do as a department lead to prepare your team for your shortcomings.

• You should create a work culture that promotes acknowledging both successes and failures — normalizes falling short sometimes.
• You should encourage employees to take risks despite the possibility of failing.

There’s no need to wallow in your own self-pity or to dwell on whether or not you let your team down — build a space that supports these types of things.

#2 — Be transparent and intentional

Take the time to be open and honest with your team.

Do you have specific, realistic expectations of each person? What are the goals of your company for the month? For the year?

Be vocal about the direction your company is headed and what exactly needs to happen to successfully get to the destination.

Provide feedback and updates

There are multiple different types of feedback, 2 being positive and negative.

As you would assume, positive feedback entails letting someone know what good, impactful things they have done. It provides reassurance that what is being done is working.

On the other hand, negative feedback is constructive criticism.

Keeping your team in the loop on how they are performing is not only integral to the company but to each individual specifically. You’re placing confidence in them that you can successfully help them be successful.

#3 —Recognize when to delegate and when to provide support

Don’t be a lazy manager. The one that’s pedestal is so high up that you aren’t capable or willing to do mundane tasks.

Be the leader who steps into the trenches with your team when needed.

There’s a definitive line that’s drawn between tasks that employees should have an opportunity to handle and tasks that you can jump in on.

For instance, you should ask yourself these types of questions — Is this type of task reoccurring? Are any of my team members equipped with the required knowledge and skills to accurately complete this?

Don’t take opportunities from your team members to acquire new skills and to grow as team members, but at the same time, don’t throw them to the wolves.

Micro vs. macro managing

Nobody likes a helicopter boss.

Don’t micro-manage your team. Don’t be the person who is in their business at all times wanting to know what they are working on and going to do next.

That type of management style gives off the impression that you don’t trust your team. It tells them that you think they are incapable of working independently.

You should avoid that at all costs.

On the other end of the spectrum, don’t be so hands-off that you are perceived as not caring — macro-managing. You want your team to know that you care, are there to support, and are intuitive to their needs.

Key takeaways:

You have the power to become the leader that everybody wants to work for.

We all have it within us to effectively lead a team of people, you just have to be able to reach within yourself to pull your skills to the surface.

Take the time to reflect on who you are as a leader — what are your skills and weaknesses? As a leader, you need to be able to come to terms with the fact that you aren’t always going to achieve what you set out to do.

It’s those moments of defeat that you can use to uplift your team and create a space that normalizes making mistakes.

Be open and deliberate. Make sure that you are keeping the necessary lines of communication open with your staff.

Finally, figure out what situations call for delegation and which ones call for your attention.

Don’t underestimate your team’s ability to work efficiently, but also don’t assume that they don’t need support.

You don’t have to be the manager that people hate working for, you can be the leader that everyone wants to work for.