What makes an employee a good leader?

Inc. Magazine and Business Insider both reported on a study realized by Google poised to answer the question: What makes some employees good managers?

After collecting data for 10 years, these 10 items were identified as key qualities successful leaders:

1. They are good coaches

This means investing time and energy to help their people become better versions of themselves, not by giving them good answers, but by asking them good questions.

2.They empower their team and don't micro-manage

Leaders who empower their employees are seen as more influential and inspiring

3. They express interest in their team members' success and personal wellbeing

Great managers make it a priority to build trust & psychological safety in their teams. Team members are encouraged to take risks and feel confident making mistakes, asking questions, and bringing up new ideas.

4. They are productive and results-oriented

Good leaders make sure their teams have the tools & support they need to be productive, which includes keeping processes & roadblocks to a minimum.?

5. They are good communicators and they listen to the team

Listening enables understanding. Good communicators also share proactively & value transparency.?

6. They have a clear vision and strategy for the team

Great leaders involve employees in building a vision & strategy. Leaders strive to achieve commitment not compliance.?

7. They help employees with career development

Great managers invest in their people. They provide career path options, and suppport employees to figure out the best way for them to reach their goals.

8. They have key technical skills that help them advise the team

Managing is not coaching. An effective manager understands what jobs their people are doing and is skilled enough at the work they oversee to share their expertise. If done well this helps to build trust and respect. ?

9. They collaborate well

Collaboration skills have never been more essential than in our current global and remote working world. Fostering collaboration means setting up an environment where members of a team and across teams share accountability and interdependence with other professionals. Great managers have the ability to see the big picture, work for & lead people to work together for the good of the company as a whole.

10. They are strong decision makers

Great managers take the lead and aren′t afraid to make tough decisions. They demosnstrate a strong sense of self-confidence paired with humility.

Facilitation,?Appreciation, and Empowerment are leadership superpowers.?

Leadership is not determined by title. It is about who you are and how you interact with others. Great leaders are lifelong learners. They are focused on continuous improvement, and strengthening their ability to adapt and to face challenges as learning opportunities.?

What are you doing to be a good leader? What can you start doing tomorrow??

Please share your experiences.?

Some bonus material:?

1. A video on what to do when there is a leadership gap and you want to be the one chosen?to fill it

2. As a sportswoman, I can′t help to include a piece on lessons learned from sports on how to be a great leader. This one is my own personal story.

3. When thinking about leadership it is also interesting to take into account the perspective of Executive Recruiters and those who conduct Leadership Assessments. In this article, I break down some of the things that determine who they will select to lead.

4. An inspirational quote on growing into leadership

If you found this first Newsletter valuable, let me know by subscribing, because feedback matters.?

Thanks,

Michele