We all have an opinion when it comes to The Boss. Whether you are the boss, have aspirations to become the boss or are just trying to please the boss, there are certain expectations when it comes to this position. With Boss’s Day on 16 October, I thought about what it takes to be a good boss.
I wasn’t really aware of the existence of Boss’s Day, but I learned about it while listening to a local radio show asking people to call in and share some boss stories. What entertaining listening! Some compliments, many horror stories, and even someone who described his extremely difficult boss only to acknowledge that he works for himself. While easy praise, lenient hours, and Friday afternoon drinks might make you a popular boss, what really makes you a good one?
A good boss has to achieve good results for his or her company. If the business falters, everything else does too, eventually. More important than being likeable or having an open door, a boss, therefore, has to run a successful business. The employees are, however, essential to such success and therefore they are an important part of the boss’s focus. While efficiency and commitment can lead to positive results, human beings often need more than just achievement. When the environment is negative, when expectations are regarded as unfair, and when the team does not feel appreciated, even a positive annual report might not be enough to keep a team motivated and enthusiastic, retain staff, or attract new talent. How much of this is the boss’s responsibility and what qualities do a boss need to lead a team successfully?
- Integrity. People so easily see through fake charm. Honesty, even when it is difficult, ensures trust and confidence.
- Mentorship & Guidance. Bosses usually don’t have to teach the job but rather guide towards the focus and culture of the company.
- Motivation & Inspiration. Ensure that the team sees the big picture, navigates difficult times, helps identify meaning, and inspires them to do even better or more.
- Emotional Intelligence. Insight into human behaviour and expectations as well as being respectful of different identities and beliefs are very important. Add to that kindness and the ability to make employees feel valued and you have managed the most intrinsic part of bossdom.
- Teambuilding. Putting together a team can be quite challenging. Finding the right people for the right jobs, keeping them motivated and retaining them are difficult and requires not only insight into what your operation needs, but also an understanding of the ambitions and expectations of employees.
- Staying a Student: Being the boss doesn’t mean that you know it all. Being open to new ways of thinking and adapting to the changing landscape for both your business and your staff corps will be of essential value. Learn about the new generation of employees and understand how they fit into your existing team and what it is that makes them perform at their best and to the company’s benefit.
- The Open Door. The open-door policy should really be the open-ear policy. Listening. Not all suggestions or objections are valid, but giving staff the opportunity to be heard goes a long way towards showing respect and understanding company politics.
- Wearing different hats: Different situations ask for different approaches. When your company needs strong direction, authoritative decision-making might be required, but don’t forget the input from experts in your team. Have to improve results? Perhaps coaching your team to grow and learn and become better at what they do might be the way to go. When the team needs to feel like they are part of the plan, democratic leadership might be the best option. It might take time and test your patience, but it encourages ownership and investment. What style of leadership is required in a crisis? While it might not be popular on a regular basis, being coercive is sometimes required when immediate and urgent action is needed. (read more)
- Care for creativity: Creativity without direction can waste time and resources, but without a little out-of-the-box thinking, our progress will be slow. Encourage employee engagement and guide it towards the company vision.
- Be flexible: While the basic values might stay true, much has changed in the last decade. Working remotely is just one example. While we might be able to measure performance, how do we gauge attitude and what is the effect on teamwork? A good leader needs to be able to find new ways when the old ones have become outdated.
These are just a few pointers on a list that can cover many pages and it makes one judge your own style and efficiency. At my 60th birthday party a year or what ago, the staff’s gift to me was to buy me a word in the Afrikaans dictionary. The word was “baanbreker”, roughly translated as trailblazer. I took it as a wonderful compliment, but if I was able to forge a few new ways, it was only because I could rely on a motivated and skilled team. I think my style of leadership at that time is what is known as Pace-setting. Demanding quick results and setting high expectations is a very rewarding and exciting way to do things, but I have also learned that times change. There are times when you can be such a lead-by-example boss and when keeping up is both a challenge and a reward for the team. At other times, this approach doesn’t work and you need to coach or train or call for input. A good boss recognises and responds to changing situations.
It helps if you are an expert in your discipline, but being a boss is about much more than knowing your industry or being the best in your field. The boss you are can make or break a business and the people in it. Being a boss is both a privilege and an enormous responsibility!