What makes a good leader? I have been contemplating this thought as I have started working for a new place and a new boss. This is the first boss I have had who seems to want more for his employees than we expect and want for ourselves. He seems to really care what is going on our level, has a good sense of humor, and makes his presence known….it is a relief. I think that most people want to know that they are backed up when they are trying to get a job done. It makes it easier to think that you wont have to fight the upper levels when you get your task completed…that just maybe this time you wont get angry calls or emails saying that you aren’t doing a good enough job when you just went without sleep for a week to get something done that actually falls under their job description and responsibilities, not yours. Its just nice to know that maybe somebody actually cares about what it’s like to be in the spot that you’re in, and are willing to work with you instead of just shoving you under the bus when things come in from a distance.
There are all kinds of leaders….of family, business, church, etc….but I think that most good leaders share a lot of the same qualities, and I for one am very glad that my new boss seems to be one of those people. Not obsessed with what is best for him, or what will make him look better, but what will be best for everyone. A lot of people will claim to be looking out for the best interest of the big picture, but I think that very few people do, especially in the business world. I think that a lot of people are only looking to forward their own career, or make their own job more secure as the economy is still in the slump.
It’s frustrating to look around at your life and the people around you and know that the boss is the one who gets to sit behind their desk and get paid 5 times more than you or more while you work your ass off. Poor leadership is frustrating because it creates a poor work environment…if they’re not willing to do their job, there is a very slim chance that they are going to support you when you need it. No Support in the work place makes you not want to go back. To see the people who are suppose to be in the leadership roles frustrates you as they sit by and do nothing except criticize. Never taking the time to find out how to make your job easier or how to support you but always adding a new responsibility to your job description so that their job is made easier. It’s like some of our so called “leaders” feel that we are here to serve them instead of doing our own job. Why is it that the those who work the hardest are always the ones that are over looked and get paid the least? The leader gets to do all of the critique and take all of the credit but sometimes have no idea what the work actually entails that they are suppose to be supervising. Sometimes they are so oblivious to the fact that maybe the people underneath them are doing the best they can with what they have and maybe that one extra thing cannot possibly get done within the confines. Frustration builds up and so the work place is some place that is dreaded, where as it should make you happy to get up and go to work, eventually frustration can make you hit that snooze a few more times until one day you just roll over and decide you’re going to skip the annoyances that day. I think that poor leadership can drive away good employees faster than anything else.
What makes a good leader? What makes someone fit to be in charge? Everyone works for someone, if it’s your supervisor, boss, or just the client; everybody has to work to please somebody. But what is the line you have to draw and say, this person wasn’t meant to be a leader, not a true leader, they might make a good politician and be able to accomplish parts of the job, but as for an actual leader…what qualities does a person need to have?
I think that a real leader needs to be able to do more than manage things, a real leader needs to be able to delegate, earn the trust of their followers/workers, and most importantly be above all of the normal work drama. If a leader gets sucked into the drama of the workers, they have failed. If they can be easily persuaded without any evidence or logic in a situation then you know they will fail. In order to be an effective leader you need to be able to put your personal feelings aside and work with everyone to be successful at the task at hand, no matter what that task is. Talking in circles is something to leave to the politicians wanting publicity, a real leader isn’t afraid to state plainly what they believe is right. A real leader will stand up for those that work with them. A real leader will directly address a problem and acknowledge that they are working with adults who can and will make their own decisions, and can hold their own. If someone isn’t doing their part to make things work, then the leader should get rid of them. A leader needs to do what is best for the whole group, company, etc. Not what is best for them. The leader looks out for all of those that need to trust them to make everything run smoothly.
If the person in charge doesn’t have the trust of those that work under them then they are not a leader, they simply have a title that looks better on a resume. Trust and support is what I believe the innerworkings of all jobs, offices, work places need to be based on in order for everyone to work together to make the business successful.
If you can’t trust your “leader”, then it’s time to stop following them up. It’s our job to make improvements to what we know isn’t right. It’s important that we do not blindly follow people simply because they have a leadership title. There is more to being a leader than holding the title.