Role models influence you throughout your lifetime. This doesn’t apply to just parents or siblings, successful managers talk about the coaches they have, or political role models and inspirational innovators they look up to. In other words, “leaders” – those who paved the way and provide inspiration to dare. Leadership is key.
Poor leadership affects all employees
Florida State University did a study in 2013, in which they looked at why people chose to leave their jobs. The study was titled ”People don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses”. 700 people participated in the study and reported that their managers:
- Didn’t give positive feedback on work that was done well
- Criticized and commented with negativity
- Didn’t live up to their promises
- Blamed their employees for unmet goals
Most likely lies and/or negativity seem to be the opposite of what you think of as strong leadership. It’s true, though, that the role of manager comes with high demands and you have a lot of expectations to live up to, both from top management and from your employees. It’s a challenge to succeed, even with the best intentions.
How can you be a role model?
By developing leadership in the organization, new opportunities open up in terms of what the organization is capable of doing. In order to develop as a manager and be a role model, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Give concrete praise and feedback
- Let your employees do what they are best at
- Be courageous and learn from your mistakes
- Be a good listener
- Let your passion and your engagement be contagious
In short, it’s about creating the conditions for others to succeed. This means getting employees to take ownership so they can act independently and continually move toward the organization’s goals. And then to get those who are most competent to stay.
