As a leader, your role extends far beyond just managing tasks and delegating responsibilities. You’re responsible for nurturing a positive work environment, fostering growth among your team members, and steering the collective efforts toward success. However, not every leader excels in these areas, and sometimes, it’s important to recognize when your leadership style might be falling short. The survey of 1,500 managers and 1,500 employees by employee listening leader Perceptyx, found that people working for their worst manager ever are 3x more likely to be disengaged and almost 4x more likely to say they intend to quit in the next 12 months. To make sure you don’t have a mass exodus on your team, here are five signs that indicate you might need to grow in your leadership skills:
1. You Avoid Having Hard Conversations: Being a good boss entails the ability to navigate difficult conversations with empathy and clarity. Avoiding tough discussions can lead to unresolved issues and resentment among team members. According to one report, ‘The Learning Habits of Leaders and Managers’, 50% of managers cited difficult conversations as the biggest challenge they face in their roles. Effective leadership involves addressing challenges head-on, fostering a culture of open communication, and finding constructive solutions. Ultimately, avoiding hard conversations undermines trust and hinders the growth and success of both individuals and the team as a whole.
2. Communication Breakdown: Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful team, yet many leaders falter in this area. If you frequently leave your team members in the dark about important decisions, fail to provide constructive feedback, or struggle to listen actively to their concerns, you’re likely hindering collaboration and productivity. A poll conducted by leadership development and training company Fierce, Inc., which surveyed over 1,400 employees, corporate executives, and educators, showed that 86% of them believe ineffective communication is the underlying reason for workplace failures.
3. Lack of Vision:A good boss inspires their team with a clear vision of where they’re headed and why their work matters. As a leader, you hold a wealth of context within your mind. Your thoughts often revolve around the company, sometimes causing the vision and other crucial topics to be crystal clear in your head yet overlooked in communication. Therefore, it’s essential to verify that the words you intend to express are indeed spoken aloud. If you find yourself lacking a compelling vision or failing to articulate it to your team, they may feel directionless and disengaged.
As the leader, your job is to make sure your managers know that a key part of their role is making sure they know what they’re shooting for and how it relates to the north star of the company. Your employees’ confusion about their roles usually stems from one or two reasons. They may not have clear goals or ways to know how to define success in their role. This is often tied in with managers who don’t do the work of helping them create metrics and then achieve them, and then help them see how their goals tie to the bigger picture.
4. Failure to Delegate: While it’s important to be involved in your team’s work, trying to do it all yourself is a recipe for burnout and inefficiency. If you struggle to delegate tasks or micromanage every aspect of projects, you’re not only limiting your own effectiveness but also stifling the growth and development of your team members. Trust in their abilities and empower them to take on new challenges. A survey conducted by Trinity Solutions found as many as 79% of people have experienced micromanagement. And of the people who reported working for a micromanager, 85% said it had decreased their morale and 71% said micromanagement interfered with their job performance.
5. You don’t know how to foster an inclusive environment: As a leader, acknowledging that people can do things differently than you is essential for fostering a culture of inclusivity and innovation. From EY’s “Belonging Barometer”, 56% of workers feel like they can’t share — or are reluctant to share — aspects of their identity at work, especially if they believe it could hold them back. Among LGBTQ+ workers, the percentage is even higher, with 77% feeling uncomfortable about sharing dimensions of themselves at work. Recognizing diverse approaches and perspectives enables you to tap into the full potential of your team and encourages creativity.
Belonging has become an increasingly important aspect of DEI initiatives, yet many workers report that these programs have “failed them personally,” according to a recent WebMD Health Services survey. Workers reported they didn’t feel safe expressing their opinions and felt excluded from career advancement opportunities. Embracing different ways of doing things not only empowers your team members but also strengthens the overall effectiveness of your leadership.
Recognizing these signs is the first step toward becoming a better leader. It’s never too late to course-correct and adopt a more empowering and inclusive leadership style. By fostering trust, promoting open communication, and prioritizing the well-being of your team, you can create a positive work environment where everyone thrives.
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