As a Manager it is important for you to recognize that it is you who has the biggest influence on employee satisfaction and retention. The most successful managers lead and leaders are not just born but can be groomed through a great support system.
The debate over whether great leaders are made or born has gone on for ages. Stewart Friedman, the founding director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, says he has the definitive answer.
In his newest book, Leading the Life You Want, Friedman explores the skills you need to be a leader, how to develop them, and how to devote your life to your work without losing everything that's important to you. His research has led him to conclude that people are not born to be great leaders.
According to Allen Kors to develop great people skills, potential leaders need to learn how to become better listeners, how to accept critical feedback in a constructive way, and how to best display empathy and patience with other team members and colleagues.
Confidence is also a huge part of leadership, and is a trait you can practice and hone over time. Confidence and self-esteem come from interactions where we (in our own eyes) behave positively. We can exercise this through becoming more decisive in our work and personal lives, learning more about our industry so we become knowledge experts, and building our own success rather than waiting for others to hand it to us.
Additionally, responsibility and integrity are very important leadership skills to have, although no one is born knowing how to be responsible. Integrity itself is also a choice. Becoming more responsible and acting with integrity (I believe the two go hand in hand) is achieved through accepting blame when something goes wrong, taking charge on solving difficult problems, and learning how to stay calm and troubleshoot when things do not go as planned.
Are you a leader or a manager?
