8 Ways To Become a Better Leader at Work

Being a leader at all is not an easy task, let alone being a great one. You might recall your distant school days when you grudgingly accepted leading a school project. Well, who can blame you?

Being a leader means shouldering the responsibility of directing your group members who are motivationally challenged and have different personalities from yours, culminating in the likelihood of being blamed if something goes awry. Fast forward to the present day, and little has changed on the challenges a leader must face every day.

Being a leader in the workplace can be more complicated than leading a country or an army, in that there is no absolute power to compel their cooperation; instead, you are faced with the difficult task of winning their respect in order to get things going.

# Adopt a fair perspective regarding your coworkers

Think of being a leader as more of a responsibility than a position of power. You may be a boss, but you should not boss people around. Instead, lead by example. Always remember that they are working WITH you rather than FOR you, as you are also an employee of a bigger organization.

Do not think of your staff and your position as a mere stepping stone in your climb up the ranks; instead, think of them as your team. Keeping this frame of mind keeps them motivated and loyal.

# Actively listen to your people

This means taking time out of your schedule and making yourself available for a little catch-up with the people who work under your leadership. Active listening not only cultivates openness and approachability in the workplace, but allows you to know your people better by getting a peek into their ideas, rants, and frustrations.

# Give credit and express gratitude

Acknowledging good work by praising and giving your team due credit is the ultimate morale booster for any workplace. Doing this ensures that you make your people feel appreciated and that you and the organization you represent highly value their hard work, which in turn makes them more committed to the team and motivated to continue performing well.

# Know their role and get involved in their work

This is where leading by example takes form. As a leader, you are expected to provide insight and guidance in situations where they lack the know-how to proceed with a task. So, it is a good call to get to know their individual jobs and take a hands-on approach to leadership.

However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll micromanage every detail of the job. The idea is for you to show your presence and give proper direction when the need arises.

# Ask for solutions, not excuses

Mistakes and screw-ups are pretty unavoidable in any workplace. As a leader, you should cultivate a sense of responsibility by giving your people free rein in troubleshooting problems and challenges.

Instead of allowing them to make excuses and blame others for a failed task, it will benefit the whole team if a solution to the problem is put forward.

# Acknowledge your own mistakes

Even leaders are not infallible to committing mistakes in the workplace. When such a situation arises, learn to acknowledge and take responsibility for your own mistakes, instead of placing the blame on someone else.

It could be as simple as an apology for an unintentional remark, or taking full responsibility for the outcome of poor decision-making. Remember that, as a leader, the actions of your people will reflect your own skills as a leader.

# Make it a habit to analyze and strategize as a team

Keeping everyone in the loop is not only proper business practice, but it has a side effect of letting your people know that you value their opinion in decision-making. Make sure that you communicate regularly and clearly, and include members of your team who will be directly affected by future plans.

# Hire for potential, but promote for skill

It has been emphasized that people are the greatest asset of any enterprise. As a leader who is in charge of setting up a team and managing them, it is important that you recognize the people who have the actual skills and potential to be an effective member of a team.

Most organizational problems arise from placing the wrong people in the wrong roles, and good leaders are able to hire people not to fulfill a favor or superficial qualities, but for their solid skill and experience.