To be a better leader 10 things can help.

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan, former U.S. President

Have you ever heard the expression; people don’t leave bad jobs they leave bad bosses? Turns out there’s plenty of evidence supporting that claim.

A recent study determined that 65% of people working with poor leaders were looking for a new job. 25% of people working for a good leader were seeking new opportunities.

Interestingly, 65% of people working for bad leaders said they’ve been dishonest. 25% of people working for good leaders professed to have embellished the truth. 

These statistics illustrate the importance of surrounding yourself with great people. That includes a great boss! 

“What you do has far greater impact than what you say.” – Stephen Covey, author and educator

Being a better leader requires a commitment to constant improvement. Ironically, people prefer leaders with; passion, insight, wisdom, honesty and integrity opposed to intelligence and attractiveness.

If you’re interested in improving your leadership skills 10 simple things can help.

Good leaders share ideas and information. People ask why I share knowledge, expertise, insight and encouragement on LinkedIn. It’s simple, because it helps people improve their prospects for success. I do the same thing with my incredible staff. Sharing information with your people empowers them! Insecure leaders believe sharing information reduces control or benefits a potential competitor.  

Good leaders make great hiring decisions. Good leaders recognize incredible talent, humility and genuine compassion. They can smell a champion. Bad leaders lack emotional intelligence, so they rely on impressive academic pedigrees and overlook innate ability.

Good leaders recognize accomplishments. Good leaders look for opportunities to praise people privately and publicly. They understand the need to make people feel appreciated and offer unsolicited approbations. 

Good leaders value time. Good leaders respect your time by being punctual and prepared. Arrogant leaders create the impression that their time is more valuable than yours. 

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan, Hall of Fame basketball superstar

Good leaders show empathy. Good leaders recognize human fallibility and interject compassion into every decision. If they recognize someone is having a bad day, they step in and provide emotional support and encouragement. Other team members offer support as well because a precedent of unity has been clearly established. Leading by example is contagious.

Good leaders are culpable. Good leaders aren’t quick to condemn. They recognize failures are inevitable and strive to provide support and culpability when solving problems. Time isn’t wasted pointing fingers or assigning blame. Attention is focused on overcoming obstacles and working together to rectify the problem.

Good leaders’ express gratitude. Bad leaders see people as instruments for executing their vision. They get paid to perform. They dehumanize people in the process of depreciating their value. Good leaders genuinely value people and relationships. They understand the impact of saying thank you and expressing gratitude for the privilege of serving remarkable individuals.

Good leaders encourage a life outside of the office. Horrible leaders believe people should be devoted to their job 24 hours a day. Answer e mails around the clock and drop everything when “the boss” calls. Good leaders encourage personal and family time because they understand the correlation between “outside” activities and genuine happiness.

“Knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks, civil rights activist

Good leaders are great communicators. Bad leaders dance around the truth. They are comfortable withholding honesty if it prevents future complications.  Bad leaders lack the patience required to communicate carefully. They literally view people as an inconvenience. Good bosses tell it like it is and exercise compassion, empathy and respect always. 

Good leaders develop talent. Good leaders recognize true potential and cultivate talent by coaching and mentoring people. Good leaders help people explore their curiosities and push them toward personal excellence. Good leaders live inspirational lives and motivate people by simply being in the room. 

“You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” – Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company

Sum it up

Are you currently leading people? If so, do these qualities describe you? If not these 10 simple improvements can help strengthen your professional connections.

Any experience with bad leaders? Please like and share this article and include your thoughts in the comments section below. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.  Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming. Steve is an author and host of the post program Anatomy of Success. Please reach out and connect with Steve on LinkedIn!