In our previous post we told you how to be a good leader so as to become a better boss. Do you want to correct your habits in order to improve your leadership and motivate your team? Then read on to learn how not to become a bad boss in the process. Take note:
1. Check if you are being considered a “bad boss” or you are acting like one
Take a moment to think whether you are acting in a really wrong way with your team or whether you have a good reason for doing what you do. Identify what is really worrying you; your anxiety may be due to reasons that go beyond what can be perceived with the naked eye. For example, you could be more alarmed by the deadline than by the task itself. It is something beyond your control and it causes you to act inappropriately. Understanding the source of your actual concern will help you act appropriately.
2. Make sure your bad day won’t affect others
If you are having a bad day with your team, make sure that is not a habit. If you are having a difficult time, your main concern should be to keep that mood from affecting the work of others. Try to keep your work life away from your problems. If the source of your problems is precisely the job, do your best to avoid spreading the mood among the group. Be a good leader and protect your team.
You may also like: The 7 Great Challenges for the Leaders of Tomorrow
3. Don’t let it affect your productivity
Your work must be above your “bad day”. Don’t let your worries, or your bad mood, affect the way you work or interact with other people or heads of other departments. And remember: being a boss does not mean being a leader. You must act as a good leader by giving your obligations the highest priority and learning how to tell what can spoil your tasks. Do not think you are above the rest, hierarchy is not everything.
4. Don’t act as a “micromanager” would
If you notice that your team members are anticipating your requests, they may be doing it because they consider you a “micromanager“. This way, your employees are looking to escape your suffocating supervision. Rely more on your team, assume that they need independence and can be self-sufficient when performing certain tasks. Learn to delegate to them to the end of the tasks and see your productivity increase while you strengthen your leadership.
Learn more: What Is Micromanagement and How To Deal With It?
5. Be a leader
Pull out all the stops to take the leading role. Keep doing your work the best you can, trust your team and learn to delegate. The further away you move from “micromanagement”, the more impact your leadership will have for the benefit of the company and your own. Without realizing it, your colleagues and your team will notice who the real leader is because they will appreciate your initiative.
Do not miss the third installment of How to be a leader on our next post.