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Research Facts On How to Be a Great Leader

Published

3 years ago

March 9, 2015

Everybody wants to lead; to be in command; make people work for them and not the other way around. But how? Here are some wisdom filled facts which show you the way.

Recent studies have shown the qualities that make the most powerful CEO success as well as the most common failures of bad leaders.

1. Learn what really motivate people. (Its not cash.) What’s the #1 motivator? Progress. Most definitely progress. Want your employees to perform well? Money and feedback work best as incentives when combined with acknowledgement of an employee’s achievements. A quick boost to employee motivation by reminding people why their job is important works wonders. When everything else fails, only nagging works.

2. Avoid extremes of assertiveness or passivity. Good leaders are supportive, not controlling. Not even in the military do the push people around. Find a balance between tough and soft. A great leader must adapt to the environment around.

3. To be perceived as a good leader, speak first and speak often. However, discretion in speech is advised. You can learn to be more charismatic. When you have to communicate bad news, monitor your body language. Face to face, eye to eye contact is important; communicating via email can make you look like a jerk. Saying “thank you” is vital.

4.. Don’t reprimand in public. You can always call them to your office or private space. And even then, depending on the gravity of the situation, proper words be chosen and said. You need to be positive for employees to be at their best. More than physical bruises, shattered sentiments hurt more. So be on guard and exercise caution.

5. The best predictor of team success in the workplace is how the team members feel about each other. Teams get rolling because of social skills, not IQ. Hear the words your employees speak. This can tell you how they feel about being in and for the group. When it comes to team trust, it’s true that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Dave Packard (of Hewlett Packard) has some great tips on building a solid work environment. He believes in making employees happy so that they’re are more productive. (Happier employees bring companies better returns.) And your employees will be happier if you let them know their job has value. You can reduce employee stress by making clear what is expected of them.

All in all, it can only be said, that great leadership lies in striking a balance in almost everything. Although no one can be perfect, but near perfection can be attained by being on a constant vigil of oneself, not just physically but even verbally.

Dr. Aafreen Kotadiya
MGM University