Empathise how you lead

Leading people is well is up there on any manager’s list and one of the most challenging of responsibilities. To make that job a bit easier, here are some tips to bear in mind.

Your suggestions are seen as ‘orders’: As manager, your words are often not taken at face value. And most people will not risk disregarding your ideas, at least without good reason; so couch your suggestions in a way that makes it easier for your people to decide whether and how to use it.

Sounds counterintuitive but ‘too much value’ takes the form of wanting a say in everything, or having the last word. This can take away ownership. Give direction but stop short of telling people exactly what to do. Help out, but know when to step back and encourage.

 

Let people feel led and heard: People want to be led and heard too. Be the boss, but behave like a peer, especially when you want people to be comfortable with saying what they think. Don’t flaunt your authority or you’ll lose opportunity to really connect with your staff.

Show trust in all levels:

Express confidence in line managers by making them a key source of information. But don’t block yourself from the layers below. Find a way to interact with across the board so that you can get a broader understanding of the issues that matter to people.

Don’t make assumptions about what’s important to people or what motivates them. Of course your job is to help them do what they were hired to do. But knowing what people find meaningful enables you to understand how to tap into what makes them tick.

Pick one person on your team. Find out what motivates them