What Great Leaders do
'Bukola ''Buks'' KOGBE -FCIPD, SHRM-SCP
Global HR Executive | Transformational Leader driving 6000+ workforce optimization | FCIPD, MBA | Expert in M&A, Talent Strategy & Organizational Change | Board Director specializing in emerging markets
What Great Leaders do.
Think about the best bosses you have had in your career so far. The people who have truly made an impact in your life and your career journey. Certainly, there are some who have been good bosses and ahem, some not so great bosses.
As an organizational behaviorist, I cannot but muse over what makes a great boss, how we build great teams and how a truly great boss impacts one’s growth. Career coaches will often tell you to ''choose a boss over a company''. While both are important (Think org culture for company, your boss determines to a large extent what happens to you within an organization. May we have great bosses, may we become one.
?Are you a business leader, obviously, you have learnt a thing or two about leading teams? p.s. This forms a series I will write about over time. So stay tuned and lets learn together.
Muse 1 - A great boss removes obstacles for her team. One critical factor to your success is how your boss helps you prioritise what is critical and important. The big picture. Why what you do creates an impact to the organisations strategy and growth. As a boss, have you shared what the most critical actions are with your team? Is your team working towards a common goal that drives critical business results? I continue to appreciate Jeff Gothelf’s HBR article on OKRs for teams.
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With deciding what is critical and important, a great boss seeks to remove inefficiency. Certainly, there are ‘’start, stop, continue’’ actions that the team is able to work on to remove inefficiencies and promote innovation.?A great tool remains Lisa Bodell’s ‘’Kill the Company’’ Loosely put, ‘If you or your whole department were to be fired today and your competition has been asked to take over your company or business unit, what will they do?’ This also fosters a sense of newness; a reboot of sorts within the team.
A great boss is a master conduit. She is open and willing to connect you to anyone who might make your work easier. She is heavily networked and willing to open her network – within and outside the business so you can get the information and support you need. Dear business leader, how many people have you connected your team with? How are you leveraging your network for your teams’ growth?
Lets’ continue this journey together as I share muse 2 in a few.
Enjoy November. Buks
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Building Brands | Healthcare & Consumer Marketing | Driving Access & Patient Outcomes
3 年Thanks for the timely reminder Buks. May we continue to have great bosses and be one.
Sales & Marketing Professional | Business Strategist | Self-taught Data Scientist
3 年Hi Bukola, This is a wonderful piece you have written. Yes, great bosses help their team remove obstacles and prioritise what is important for critical business results. Prior to that, outstanding bosses build strong relationships with the people who work for them by getting to know them individually. Making an effort to understand each team member as a distinct person shows the team that their manager cares and opens the their hearts to the influence of the boss. Having gained the trust of the team, excellent leaders go the next level in setting goals and priorities, removing the obstacles, guiding and coaching, and pushing the team to deliver excellent results. Next, they develop their team members by delegating tasks and building their capacity to be the best version of themselves. Sometimes, team members with such bosses are able to develop skills that they never knew they had and become great in their expertise. In summary, it is a blessing to have a good boss even though it is not easy to be one. However with regular practise, we can all be great bosses
Technical Manager | Quality Manager | Regulatory Manager | Digital Manufacturing | Lean Consultant with experience in global organizations.
3 年When I think of my great bosses … this is what comes to mind from your master piece - A great boss is a master conduit. Yes they link your to the routes and recipes for success.
Co-Founder - Paycio | Entrepreneur | Startups | Blockchain | Youth
3 年Loved the way how you have combine and explained 'Bukola Kogbe, GPHR, GTML in the article. You have covered all the points but adding to it I would like to say that great leaders help themselves and others do the right things. While they set the direction, they must guide their people in the right destination with smooth and efficient way.
Founder | Gaming Protocol , Angel Investor
3 年Put simply, great leaders are 'good people people'. They find time for their staff, they are approachable and take a genuine interest in how staff are travelling. They treat staff well on a consistent basis and support team members with challenges they may be having at home or work. People who work for such leaders often say they feel genuinely cared for. Compare this to managers who hardly leave their offices, are unapproachable, or who seem to have a closed-door policy. Well shared piece 'Bukola Kogbe, GPHR, GTML!