What Does A Good Boss Do? Essential Traits And Responsibilities Explored

Over the decades, millions of businesses have been started, and a lot of them didn’t successfully compete in a global competition, or even if they did, they failed in the market after a while.

However, some of the names, like Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk, came up with outstanding ideas and visions, which made them stand apart from the crowd.

What made them so successful that those companies didn’t have? It was not just the determination and hard work but the leadership style that helped transform the new world.

But What Does A Good Boss Do? Well, to understand that and also to learn the skills that can define you as a Good Boss, here is what you need to know.

why your business need leadership

Here it’s important to focus on the term  ‘ social influence’; it doesn’t refer to authority or power.  It needs others but doesn’t always have to be a direct report.

Also, being a leader is not a cakewalk. To become a great leader, you need to have the qualities to help others achieve their objectives and goals.

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What Is A Good Boss Like? Qualities of a Good Boss

Anyone can be a leader, but to thrive in that position will require solid skills.

Companies look for candidates who can lead the team, help achieve the goals, and fulfill the position requirements.

As for business, leadership is not just a quality; it’s a need, and to become an exceptional leader, here are some of the top  skills you will need :

Qualities of an Effective Leader

1. Relationship Building

Well, this one is required if you want to build a high-performing team. Relationship building is the foundation of that.

However, some leaders might don’t want to be or care to be loved in the workplace.

But to make an engaged and cohesive team, the leaders will need the skills of building relationships.

  • When you have a good relationship in the workplace, it helps in :
  • Increasing the engagement and interest among the team members.
  • Getting better results in work, coordination, and understanding.
  • Sharing a similar vision, following the instructions, and developing mutual commitment.
  • It helps in boosting better and much stronger communication.

How You Can Do That:  To boost relationship building, you can follow the following tips –

Share More About You

You can share about yourself as an individual and let people know what kind of person and thoughts you have. For this, you can use the meeting as a forum. Share your experience,  stories, and what you have learned till now.

Organize Activities

You can do better team building by doing fun games and activities. It can be office support, family, or office day to keep the connection much stronger.

Write Thank You Note

Show your appreciation to your workers, and let them know that you value their work, especially if they are doing something extraordinary or going the extra mile. Send thank-you notes and give them their credit.

2.  Creativity And Innovation

Pushing your boundaries to become more creative and innovative is one of the skills that you need to become a great leader.

For example, what did Apple do to become the leader of the computer and mobile industry? Well, they invited the products by keeping the users in their mind.

It made their products more user-friendly, and it was a feature that customers were ready to pay for.

Steve Jobs led innovation and creativity, pushing the boundaries and making Apple Inc ahead of its competitors.

Also, the quality made him one of the most highly influential leaders to date.

According to a global study,  it was shown that unlocking creative potential is what helps in growth at economic and societal levels.

Qualities of an Effective Leader

The demand for creativity and innovation will increase more and more, so if you improve your skill, it will be competitive and effective in the future.

How You Can Do It – You can follow these points to improve your creativity and innovation.

Try Different Perspective

Sometimes it is all it takes to change the perspective; try thinking of some other perspective. Look outside the window instead of keeping our vision limited to four-cornered rooms. Do walk meetings, brainstorm, relax in an environment, etc, to get fresh ideas.

Schedule The Time

Put a schedule only for thinking; make sure no one disturbs you. Organize your mind and thoughts and rearrange the goals for you as well as the team.

Use the time to consider more ideas and suggestions which can improve productivity and performance.

Focus On Others

Listen to others, their ideas, visions, and thoughts. It will give you a wide range to think about.  Maybe your employee has some ideas which can be worked on.

Also, it will help in knowing who has similar goals to you, and it will be easier to steer their direction the right way.

3.  Adaptability And Agility

The skill is crucial for a stay on the cutting edge, especially when the market is getting more and more competitive each day.

Well in 2008, Development Dimensions International conducted a study on the three topmost important qualities that leaders should have.

32% was the ability to facilitate change in 2018; adaptability was defined as one of the skills leaders required to have.

The business market was changing fast, and the leaders were required to reduce the gap and be on the cutting edge.

It is important for leaders should have the ability to accept the changes and make the necessary changes, so they don’t leave behind when the industry shifts, even if it means working out of their comfort zone.

How To Do It: To improve the trait of adaptability, here are a few things you can do –

Change The Process Of Thinking

Instead of following the ‘ that’s the way we do it mindset, try considering different perspectives. Be open to other ideas and listen to what other people say. However, change can be scary but embracing it will bring more opportunities.

Encourage To Be Open-Minded

To develop this, you can encourage others so it will create a more similar atmosphere. Not just do you become more open-minded, but it also affects the people around you, and the cycle goes on.

Force To Take Risks

To become better is adapting; taking risks is what can help you. Instead of running away from it, start with small steps but make sure you take risks.

Break your comfort zone and try more to experience the risks.

Learn More

Be curious and keep yourself connected to the following trends. It will make it easier for you to adapt to new things.

Learning also helps in understanding the positive and negative sides of the change, so you can be prepared and more confident with your decisions.

4. Honesty

One of the important traits that you must have is to be honest with your people. It’s helpful in building trust, and people around you can rely on you.

Also, people look up to those who are honest with their words and know how to be accountable.

It’s one of the needed traits that makes you expect, and you can improve the relationships with the employee.

How To Do It: To make yourself honest as a leader, here are a few points for you to consider

Be Truthful

An honest leader never lies about things which makes it easier to set realistic goals. When you lie, you are creating a mess and a fear of getting caught.

So be true to yourself first, do not use white lies or make excuses for your bad habits and patterns.

Do Self Analysis

Take time to reflect on how you approach things, know yourself better, and see where you are using lies and for what.

Try to see how it has been avoided, and don’t be critical or judgemental about it.

Stop Impressive Others

Instead of thinking about how your employee will get impressed with you as a leader, focus on providing real value to their goals.

When you do that, you will automatically earn their respect and trust.

5. Employee Motivation

The ability to motivate your employees can improve the company efficiently.  It’s one of the effective skills that a leader should have; you should know what and how you can motivate employees continuously to regulate their engagement.

According to the study done by Greatefy, the firm conducted with 1000 employees in the US.  The number one complaint that 63% of employees stated was the lack of appreciation from their managers.

When the managers appreciate the contribution of the employees, their engagement level increases by 60%.

motivate the employees

Also, in another study conducted by Westminster College,  boosting morale is preferred by 32% of the employees. If they are not motivated, it affects finances, low productivity, and attrition.

How To Do It: To make sure you are doing better in motivating your employees, here are a few tips for you.

Find The Motivations

Every person has something different that motivates them. It can be related to their hobbies,  aspirations,  goals, or interests. It also means that you know about your team well.

Know about your employees to understand what personally motivates them.

Praise & Compliment

There is no human being who doesn’t like to be recognized. The habit of praising and complimenting employee for their good work and qualities need to grow.

Praise and compliment can do an instant boost up and motivate the employee to do better in the workplace.

Believe In Them

Trust your employees and their skills so that they will get the work done. It can be easily shown when you stop micromanaging their work. Most great leaders don’t get in the way of employee work until it’s needed.

Provide What They Need

Ask about things that can help in making them better at their job. Maybe it’s better equipment, skill, and space; you will get answers that can help motivate them.

6. Conflict Management

Conflict can happen anytime and in any area of your business.  According to American Management Association, managers spend at least 24% of their time managing conflict.

Also, conflict can happen between the employees, or an individual might disrupt the work. It can go beyond the workplace, including competitors,  customers, and supply.

When the occult arises, the leader is required to jump in and solve it with minimum damage. Also, conflict management training can help employees eliminate any such issues before it takes an ugly turn.

How To Do It: You can solve conflicts or avoid them. To do that, here are some tips for you to consider –

Never Take Sides

 Being a leader requires you to be rational, and taking sides can show favor which causes problems in the workplace. So when you are solving the problems, focus on providing solutions that can be beneficial for both parties equally.

Develop Rules

Half of the conflicts can be avoided if the employees know what to do when it happens. Rules can be helpful in ensuring that employees listen to each other and respect their viewpoints.

Deal Early

Instead of waiting, look for the issues when they are in an early stage so you can find the solution. Take early action to prevent the conflict and make sure it doesn’t escalate.

7. Confidence

To make the organization appear strong and solid, the leader retires to be confident.  Take the example of the leading leaders, they all know what they are doing, and it shows when they present themselves.

Also, the team, look up to the leaders, and they need someone who can confidently guide them. 

You can learn the skill by enrolling in various leadership training programs where that help in improving communication skills, people management, personal development, etc.

How To Do It: here are some of the pointers that can improve your confidence in yourself as a leader –

Connect With Leaders

You can connect with more leaders like you and learn from them. They can help you understand the hidden secrets and ways of doing things. Also, having such a network makes you feel less nervous as you know more people go through such stages.

Learn About It

There are different courses, books, and sources from where you can learn about how to become a better leader. Also, different frameworks, tools, and skills can be helpful for you.

Make Decisions

Making Decisions helps you in having more confidence; also, instead of asking permission, take steps. And on what results in you get.  Put your 100% and make sure you have no doubts.

8. Training Others

According to statistics, more than 93% of managers require training on changing employees.

The ability to train and coach other people is counted as one of the important management skills; it includes giving constructive and timely feedback too.

Employees also feel connected with their leaders which improves productivity and engagement.

How To Do It: To improve your employee as well as you, there are a few important things you should be known –

Give Frequent Feedback

Employees care when it comes to feedback from their leaders. However, it’s important to give constructive feedback so the employees can know where they need to improve and where they are doing well.

Culture of Team feedback

Feedback should always come from the leaders; the employees can do that to each other, and leaders can also get feedback from them. And for that, you need to create a culture so people can learn from each other.

Consider What’s Lacking

Look for the skills that your employees are lacking; the better way is to ask directly. See what they answer and provide the training based on that; it will give much better results as the employees are more willing to participate.

9. Self-Awareness Ability

Self Awareness and emotional intelligence is a key skill. And a leader who knows about these skills can lead the team to better results and goals.

Well organizations that are more technical by nature should invest in their management skills training. This helps in improving emotional intelligence, so it can help in advancing leadership skills.

How To Do It: well, to improve your self-awareness ability, here are a few things that will help you.

Set The Boundaries

As a leader, you are going to need to fix strong boundaries. It doesn’t mean that you have to be cold; make sure you are warm and welcoming. But say no when it’s needed. Be serious about what you do and your passion.

Know The Triggers

Self-awareness also helps in finding the emotional triggers that cause the disturbance. You can find what makes you feel less productive and use it to get different results. When you know the triggers, you can avoid them or find solutions.

Self Disciple Practice

Self-discipline is the utmost important part of your being a leader. Also, it goes the same for the employee.

Self-discipline is one of the crucial traits that can help you focus better.

10. Team Building

Well, to become a successful business, you are going to need to be more cohesive.  And for that, they will need leaders who have effective management skills.

It will require investing in people training and bringing people from different backgrounds into a team.

how to develop teamwork

When you successfully get the team, it will help improve productivity and make goals easier to achieve.

Unity is indeed a strength for your company, and as a team, it’s your responsibility to improve that.

How You Do It:  Here are some the useful tips that can make your team-building skills better.

Engage Through Games

There are a lot of team-building games that can help in improving team building. Also, you can improve communication through it. Choose interesting and fun games so you can get better team building but a nice break from time to time.

Inspire Instead of Motivation

Motivation is a force that works from the outside. However, inspiration comes from the inside. So when they feel inspired, the urge to do better comes naturally and stays for much longer than motivation.

Value The Accomplishments

Compliment your team when they do good work; maybe it’s an individual or a whole team.  Invite them for a treat and offer something to boost their self-accomplishment.

Celebrate the small achievements, and do something special as it will help to know that you value them.

11. Be Fair And Consistent

Well, different managers have their management styles, so it’s important that you be consistent.  Treat everyone the same, and make sure you are showing any favoritism.

When you are showing complete fairness, it will help in encouraging good behaviors, whereas you can get feedback on things you want to discourage.

How To Do it: To ensure you are not showing favoritism and keeping consistency while being fair, here are some tips for you.

Set The Rules

Employees might want to contact you and have easy access, and it should be. But make sure you are not allowing them to brag anytime. Set the hours when they can approach and for what.

Hold Accountability

Not just as you are the leader, but also make sure that you are holding other people accountable for their actions. Do not let anyone easily get away with things like that.

Make Policies And Stick to It

The best way to get employees to feel overwhelmed with their ideas is to set the rules and policies first. Every employee should follow and follow the proper procedure to get in contact with the leaders; this can make the opportunities fair for everyone.

12. Negotiation

Well, negotiation refers to when two parties with different ideas get along together and mutually agree on the outcome that it should be.

A good leader requires negotiation to pursue the people so they can follow the lead. Here they need to appeal to their interest as well, communicate effectively, and sell the vision.

Well, negotiation skills have the process stage, which includes –

  • Preparation
  • Discussion
  • Clarification of goals
  • Negotiation toward win-win outcomes
  • Agreement
  • Implementation

Good negotiation can help leaders to build relationships that can be better and more trustworthy.

How To Do It: To make sure you are improving your negotiation skills and winning the game, here are some of the tips you can consider –

Be a Leader Who Can Be Trusted

Build your trust among the team, and make sure you are someone who can be accountable enough.

So when the negotiator doesn’t take the turn or agree to one side, the parties have trusted so they can more easily accept the result.

Understand Democratic

It’s important to be democratic when you are a negotiator; Giving options so the members can accept to make the decisions will be easier.

When they have the choice and know it’s on them to choose, they make them feel more empowered.

Be Silent About Sacrifices

Show you mean business; never show the weakest hand if you have one. Keep your fce starrtit and profefsioanl.

This will keep the negotiation to not let your weakness win the negotiation.

13. Communication

Having good communication skills is the most important thing for leaders. The skill helps in sharing their thoughts, ideas, and information with others.

It also helps in developing understanding among the people, so they can know better and trust to follow the principles and values.

Well, there are some facts that are important for leaders when it comes to communication.

Be honest and scientific because authenticity counts. Let yourself be who you are and where you come from, and add the value that you have learned from the communication.

Don’t get out of sight because visibility is a communication form too. Be present to people, connect with them, and make sure you connect not just with emails and letters but from person to person.

Improve your listening skills, as it will help you in becoming a better communicator.

How To Do It: To improve your communication skills, here are some tips.

Communicate Frequently

Communicate what your thoughts, ideas, and information are more and more.  Use different media, and keep it open as well as transparent. Avoid detachment and arrogance, and talk to your people.

Affirm With Actions

Communicating goes beyond words; effective leaders know how to use their actions to be effective. When you are saying something and doing something else, it will affect your credibility.

Use Stories

When you use stories, it becomes easier for people to understand and repeat. This can be easier for them to share with them. Also, using storytelling can make it effective in understanding the values and message.

Be Direct

Say what you mean; don’t go round and round with words. Leaders should be direct with their words and ensure you are doing that too.

14. Time Management

Business is fast-paced and highly competitive in nature; that’s why it’s important for you to control what your priorities are.

Time management is crucial for business growth as time holds monetary value for companies in this era.

According to the studies, average managers get interrupted for at least 3 minutes. Stephen Covey says that it’s important for leaders to know how to manage their time so they can prior the work and give enough attention to their employees.

The workload can easily get piled up if you don’t focus on that, which affects your productivity. And that’s why you need to manage the time and saccule it, so you don’t end up with burnout.

How To Do It:  Well, to understand how you can manage time effectively in the business,  here are some of the points that can help you.

Have Your Short To-Do List

What is important is to get it done today; write it down on paper. Make sure to add the most important tasks that you have in your mind.

Give yourself clear deadlines, so you know how much time it would take to complete it.

Use Calendar Wisely 

You can use apps or calendars on paper or on the phone; make one of these that has the best working for you. New record all of the detailed work and master the calendar.

Keep it accessible and in sync to get access when you want.

Organize The Emails

Delete the email you are not going to read again and unsubscribe from the email you don’t read. Make sure to label the folders and categories to organize your inbox.

Set up some of the rules so your email can get automatically sorted as soon as it comes.

15. Focus And Results Orientation 

The role of leadership is high pressure; you have to focus on many things simultaneously.

That’s why you need to develop the skills that can help you focus no matter what’s going on.

The leadership should have a personal vehicle and personal leadership.

Well, different points can be resulted in preventing the ability to focus, which include:

  • Poor organization
  • Not sufficient skills to create strategic planning.
  • Failure to apply the additional resources.
  • Lack of personal efforts
  • Getting distracted by the minor problems

Pressing things that are not that important which are losing the focus on the end goals.

Fear of failing or making mistakes can be an issue too. 

You can start doing the time management skills. A site can help you in prioritizing what is needed to focus on and improve the results orientation.

How To Do It: To improve your result focus and Euston, you are going to need the following points that can help you.

Track The Records

Get yourself a track record to know how fast your work is going. It can help you understand things you have done and what you have to do.

Provide Clear Instruction

Not just you but your employee needs clear instruction to make sure they are focusing on where it’s needed, and the results can be what you are hoping for.

Real-time Feedback And Guidance

In order to make sure everyone is on the same page, you can give real-time feedback and guidance. Not just you can get feedback from them to make sure you are following the same thing.

16. Active Listening

Active listening is a quality that every leader needs, as a good listener can help other people when it’s needed.

Also, when you focus on listing, you can find things that are not said but are still there.

Active listening can help you understand what other people want and get their perspectives. It helps in building trust in the long run.

Good leaders communicate with focus, care, and message. The world needs leaders who listen to their people. When you don’t have such skills, you might end up hurting someone’s thoughts.

How To Do It: To make sure you communicate with someone appropriately and genuinely, you need to increase their trust in you. And for that, you can do –

Practice Patience

When someone is talking to you, make sure you are not responding too early. Don’t interrupt when they are talking, and wait for your turn.

Keep Eye Contact

Look at the person and maintain good eye contact so they can know that you are focusing on what they are saying. Also, being a leader, showing that you focus on others gives respect to your employee.

Empathize

When you listen to someone, it’s not just about the message, but also the intent and context play the accrual part too.

So it’s important to see their point of view. Try to put yourself in the house of the person to who you are talking.

Avoid The Electronic Interceptor

Things like your phone, email, PDA, etc., can be useful for communication, but when you are listening to someone else, you don’t need to answer that right away; it looks disrespectful.

17. Self Motivation

Great leaders are those who know what they want, and they develop the power of self-motivation.

This is one of the essential leadership skills that will help you in the long run. Also, it will help in motivating others too.

Good leaders help their employees to feel motivated when they are low and boost their morale. But to make sure it goes smoothly, you need to be self-motivated, too.

How To Do It: Well, to become successful, motivation is important. Not for the employees but for the leader too. To make sure you have that, here are points for you –

Set Your Goals

Set the basic steps that you want to; when you have set goals, you have the small something that motivates you to achieve them. It can be small or big, but it should be enough to get out of your bed every morning.

Be Ready To Change

The useful leaders knew when they had to change according to the world. However, they hadn’t forgotten what their plans and goals were. So being open helps you to keep your flexibility and handle any situation which can be uncertain for you.

Balance The Emotions

Feelings play an important role in your life. Sometimes it can be so strong that it can make you feel lost and lose focus which causes self-criticism. So maintain the emotions.

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