Think your employees don’t notice your behaviors and habits? Think again. They’re watching you closely. Here are the behaviors of great leaders.
Mike Mears, Leadership Theoretician
Retired CIA Chief of Human Capital and Former Senior Fellow at The Conference Board.
Employees of a U.S. government agency provided 8,000 ratings of their bosses from poor to great. The list of descriptors that employees provided for their great bosses was not helpful in teaching managers and executives. For instance, ‘integrity’ was at the top of the list, but psychologists tell us everyone thinks they have integrity – it is one of our cognitive biases.
However, another internal study of 200 great-rated bosses uncovered simple behaviors that these bosses were doing that their employees noticed and valued.?
These simple behaviors could be categorized into four groups:?
These behaviors build psychological safety, trust, motivation, and clarity. Get all four of these things in alignment and you’ll be a great leader with very happy employees.?
So, what simple behaviors can you do today to be a great boss???
1) Establish Psychological Safety
How? By valuing others.?
Behaviors to try:
Why? These behaviors:
2) Build trust
How? By giving (the law of reciprocity).?
Behaviors to try:
Why? These behaviors:
3) Motivate
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How? By inviting participation and involving others.?
Behaviors to try:
Why? These behaviors:
4) Create clarity
How? By connecting (deep communication).?
Behaviors to try:
Why? These behaviors:
These behaviors look straightforward, but how many are you doing on a daily basis? Honestly??
My advice is to choose one or two that you are not doing now but will make a big difference to those you manage. It could be as simple as smiling more at your employees or organizing regular one-on-one conversations to check in on how your staff are doing.?
I guarantee that if you use these behaviors consistently and genuinely, you’ll establish psychological safety, build trust, motivate and create clarity. Get those right and your employees will be rating you as a great boss on the next survey that goes around.?
About the author:
I’m Mike Mears, international leadership consultant and former chief of HR, CIA. While at the CIA I launched and ran the CIA’s Leadership Academy. I observed a wide range of leadership behaviors and styles, taught a leading-edge leadership curriculum and identified the key techniques used by some of the greatest leaders.
This article was adapted from my ebook Six Things Employees Wish Their Bosses Knew. You can get a free copy of that ebook by signing up for my newsletter here. My twice-monthly newsletter is full of leadership tips and advice to help you become a great boss.?
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Director Federal Partner Solutions @ Microsoft
2 年Mike, always insightful, thank you for posting this!
Great article. It is a nice reminder that your team is watching what you do as a leader, all the time.
The leadership game changer
2 年Really good read Mike Mears, practical, pragmatic and concrete down to earth advice!
Executive Leadership Coach I Senior Director I Aviation Consultant I Veteran
2 年Fantastic.. great article .. if you go where the mission is, you’ll find the people and understand their POV
Experienced leader, communicator, and strategic thinker.
2 年This is great stuff! I thorough enjoyed your perspective as a grad student at the University of Maryland and I still have a copy of the periodic table of leadership elements and leadership island on my office wall. These are great reminders of how much I need to be constantly vigilant as a leader to make sure I'm headed down the right path and properly supporting the people that make the mission possible. Thank you for continuing to share your insightful thoughts on leadership.