Essential Steps for Leaders to Lead Well That Are Often Overlooked
By: Nicole Akers
Tags: Work, Advice, Productivity, Life Lessons, Self Improvement

Essential Steps for Leaders to Lead Well That Are Often Overlooked

Communicate clearly, increase productivity.

Photo by Rebrand Cities from Pexels

A leader can make or break a business. Employees who have good leaders are more relaxed and have a natural incentive to work harder and be more creative in their work. You can probably think of working for that one boss who made every task you completed difficult. Having a lousy leader results in tension and anxiety in the workplace. It’s no wonder 3 out of 4 employees report their boss is the worst part of the job, according to the Huffington Post. The same report says at least 50% of employees either are looking or plan to look for a new role within the year.

It seems like we need good leaders. Employees are less productive because they are anxious, tense, and often not empowered to do good work. You’re left second-guessing your efforts and spinning your wheels. Ever felt like this? I bet you have. How can we improve leadership?

Share Goals

Ever had a project where the boss said go do “x”? You did what you thought you should do to meet the goal, burnt some midnight oil, and came up with answers to achieve the goal. You poured your heart and soul into the project and beamed as you took your effort to the boss who said, “That’s not what I’m looking for. How about this?”

Well, doesn’t that frost your fritters?

If she had told you in the first place, to interview an expert for our upcoming release. Make sure you include this talking point, and whatever else you uncover of interest is yours to add as you see relevant, you probably would have done it. But, that’s not what you did because you didn’t know how your boss preferred the topic to be handled. Now you’ve got to circle back to the interviewee and ask additional questions that you could have asked on the first approach.

Communicate Clearly

Let’s stay with the same scenario. You still have to interview an expert. The boss says, “Interview an expert on online communication, get their best advice on a particular topic, and include a short 2–3 sentence synopsis of their experience and background.”

Easy; right?

You know what you need to cover to keep the boss happy and can add extraneous relevant info that you uncover during your conversation.

Give Clear Directives

Employees can meet goals and deadlines more easily when the boss is direct about what she wants to be done. Bosses who have a specific angle in mind will want to share framework upfront. Don’t leave employees wondering what you want them to do, especially if you want it done a certain way.

As an employee, you should make sure you understand your assignment. You may need to ask some follow-up questions:

Is there a particular topic or talking point for discussion?

Is there a specific way you want this topic covered?

Am I free to cover this assignment creatively?

Get those questions and any other questions you have answered before you begin your task.

Don’t Waste Time

Employees don’t like feeling dumb or that their boss has wasted their time. If your boss has an “aha moment” of epiphany after you’ve received your assignment, you may have some follow-up to do. If your boss changes projects and timetables regularly, it may be time to have a conversation about how you can meet goals more easily and improve the use of company time, while keeping a healthy work-life balance. Get on the same page to improve efficiency and productivity.

Be Open to Feedback

Being open to feedback goes for both the employee and the employer. Feedback is an open conversation that does not attack, but reveals pain points and solves them. A helpful discussion might be I feel (blank) when (blank). How can we solve this? When all parties are open to feedback, the team wins. Sometimes current events change, and topics take a turn in how they need to be covered. Dramatic changes should be an exception and not the rule of project development.

Wrap it Up

As an employee, you want to meet the boss’s goals. If you like your job, but not your boss’s management style, you are not alone. HuffPost uncovers, Sixty-Five percent (65%) of employees would rather have a new boss than take a pay raise. More than likely, you like the work you do. You probably also enjoy your general environment and location, but your boss could use some help being a good leader. If you like what you’re doing and where you do it, take steps to preserve your relationships.

Keep the conversation open so that you and your boss can have a long, happy work relationship. Bosses, it’s time to lead your employees well. As with most things, it takes everyone working together well to keep good relationships. Keep open doors and open minds for better work-relations.