11 tips to become a good leader for a healthy organization
- Objectives. Set clear goals for the business and communicate these so that everyone feels involved. Make sure that everyone understands what they mean concretely in their daily work and do not just become some vague numbers or points on a powerpoint.
- Power to the people! Ask and listen. Future leaders know how to ask rather than tell. By giving employees the opportunity to make their own decisions and freedom of action within certain frameworks, the feeling of being able to influence their work situation increases and thus increases both desire, dynamism and creativity.
- Be available. People talk about “management by walking around”. By being able to communicate more easily with your employees and vice versa, work moves forward more smoothly and faster and stressful situations are avoided. As a manager, you can easily regard your team as customers. You want your sales team to respond to customers quickly and as agreed, and you should do the same for them.
- Encourage your employees. Both when they are faced with troubling situations and when they have done things well or have done things that could have been done better. Never underestimate the power of simple recognition for a job well done. Your success comes through the success of your employees.
- Information is everything! Uncertainty creates uncertainty that rarely leads to anything good. Better to inform once too much than once too little! It is okay to inform that you do not actually have any additional or new information since the last time. It at least creates security and trust in employees that they have the latest information.
- Be clear. Don’t send out duplicate messages so employees never know where you stand. Keep the messages simple, focused and prioritized, otherwise only confusion and distancing is created.
- Take responsibility for your actions. You are the boss – take responsibility for what happens in the organization. Show that it is permissible to be wrong and accept the consequences without it becoming a disaster. That the manager stands behind things that may not have gone exactly as desired, but that you learn from the mistakes and move on, creates security in the organization.
- Live as you teach and lead by example. Do what you’ve said when you’ve said you’ll do it. Otherwise, if the organization e.g. advocates “balance in life”, it is important that the manager does not always stay last at the workplace or email his employees late at night or at the weekend. Feel free to prepare and write the email if you want, but send them in the morning when a new working day has started.
- Participation. By making employees genuinely involved, you ensure that you work in the same direction and avoid simmering dissatisfaction.
- Take off the blinders! Don’t shy away from difficult situations and warning signs from co-workers – tackle the problems while they’re still small!
- Dare to laugh! Both for yourself and together with your employees.
