How To Be a Leader: 15 Qualities You Need as a Good Boss
Have you ever dreamed of scaling your business’ operations without losing sleep, hair, or your sanity?
Of course you have!
Well, guess what? You're in for a treat, because today you'll be tapping into the worlds of leadership and business operations.
You see, you must be the greatest leader to unlock the full potential of your business.
And why, you ask?
Simple:
Your team is watching your every move . And they'll follow in your footsteps.
And research by Gallup says that just 1 out of 10 people possess the talent to manage other people .
This means that if you're not surrounded by an army of talented and competent team members, you'll find yourself stuck scaling your business's operations all by yourself.
And you don’t want that. You want your team to be able to scale your business’ operations while you focus on growing sales.
That's precisely why you need to be the Tony Stark of leadership for them. To show them the way to superhero-level scaling of your business’ operations.
Now, I'm sure you've got some leadership tricks up your sleeve already. But today, you’ll:
- Learn the art of motivation and turn your team into a productivity powerhouse.
- Watch your employees light up with engagement like a Christmas tree on steroids.
- And a list of 15 top-notch qualities that you should possess to supercharge your business's operations.
Your business’ operations are waiting for you to take the reins, so let's dive into this first good boss quality you must possess…
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Quality of a Good Boss #1: Multitasker
As a boss, you have a lot on your plate.
From meetings to interviews, each day can feel like the weight of the company is on your shoulders.
According to a report from Hypercontext, 68.3% of managers find juggling their management duties with other responsibilities is their biggest challenge as a leader.
But if you’re going to make it as a good boss, you need to learn how to deal with multitasking.
You see, if you neglect your responsibility to serve as a source of inspiration, then your relationship with your employees will be lackluster.
Moreover, an emergent leader may arise and become the de facto boss behind your back.
Quality of a Good Boss #2: Loyalty
Recently, I watched an episode of the military miniseries, “Generation Kill.”
In one scene, a Marine shot at someone who he had no business of shooting.
And later on, his sergeant took the blame for it even though he had no involvement.
That, my friends, is loyalty.
Loyalty is one of the most important qualities of a good boss as it shows workers you have their back.
Sadly, there’s just not enough loyal bosses out there.
As found by CareerBuilder, just 54% of workers feel like their company is loyal to them.
But a good boss can remedy this common issue.
That’s because the boss serves as a link between “us,” as in the common worker, and “them,” as in upper management or the company as a whole. Bosses are the faces of the company.
As a result, if a boss acts disloyal to his or her employees, employees take that as a sign that the company as a whole is disloyal.
From there, you could deal with a whole trickle-down effect where your employees act the same with each other.
And that’s just bad for business.
Quality of a Good Boss #3: Empathetic
Empathy is a rare quality among humans.
In fact, a study by Nature Neuroscience says that 1% to 2% of people are true empaths.
Now, that’s much lower than I would’ve guessed.
Admittedly, you might not need to be a hardcore empath to be a good boss, but you certianly need to show your employees that you’re invested in them.
Are they happy with their role?
What’s the reason for any performance issues?
How do they feel about their career trajectory?
These are all questions that leaders take the time to ask their workers.
And the best way to do that is through one-on-one meetings.
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Quality of a Good Boss #4: Accountable
As the saying goes, “The buck stops here.” You give the final word, so own up to your decisions even if they do not turn out as planned.
Your employees need to know that you are trustworthy, so being accountable is the best way to prove that you are
Because if you’re that boss that just pins all their shortcomings on others, then you’ll not only lose trust, you’ll hurt morale and invite verbal hostility and resentment.
Quality of a Good Boss #5: Recognizes Hard Work
Nothing is worse than working extremely hard on something and not getting any credit for it.
Like when you even work during your off-hours to meet a tough deadline, only to have your dedication overlooked by your boss.
But unfortunately, a lot of managers lack the quality of recognizing hard work.
In a white paper from staffing firm O.C. Tanner, it was found that lack of appreciation was a key reason for 79% of workers who quit their jobs.
What’s more, they found that companies that recognize excellency in an efficient manner see a return on equity that’s 3 times more than companies that don’t.
And what’s interesting is that employee recognition was important in all regions of the world studied, not just individualistic cultures.
By the way, if your company is working remotely or hybrid now due to COVID-19 or business model changes, then be aware that employees are feeling less appreciated than in the past.
For example, in 2021, 9% less workers had faith that they’ll be recognized for their contributions than they did in 2020, according to the Human Resources Executive.
So it might be a good idea to hold more one-on-one meetings and praise your employees if they work remotely.
Quality of a Good Boss #6: Organized
Possessing the quality of organization goes hand-in-hand with virtually every duty of a boss.
It helps you retrieve important documents quickly.
It allows you to schedule meetings without conflicts.
It makes you a more responsible individual.
And if you’re constantly scrambling for project notes, you’ll be seen by your employees as incompetent.
On the other hand, unless you’re the owner of your company, your superiors may question your abilities too.
But besides that, being disorganized will cost you big time in terms of productivity.
According to a survey from Express Employment Professionals, 57% of business leaders say they lose 6 hours per week because of disorganization.
Quality of a Good Boss #7: Motivator
Great leaders inspire their employees.
Instead of focusing on day-to-day tasks, they focus on an endgame.
And they find ways to get their employees to look at their job as something bigger than just a means to make a living.
According to Gallup, the best managers have the ability to motivate their employees to take action and feel connected to a compelling mission and vision.
If you acquire the motivator quality, you’ll be able to get your employees to feel more engaged with their work. With that, you’ll reap the rewards of increased productivity and higher retention rates.
Quality of a Good Boss #7: Transparent
Whether you’re the boss of a small company or a big one, there’s no room for back-door deals and shady secrets.
Who likes to be left out?
As the leader, your employees rely on you to be open and honest with them.
So if you have ideas on what direction to take the company, then share your insights with your workers.
And even give each employee the opportunity to offer their own feedback if they’d like.
That way, everyone feels part of the journey.
And as a good boss, you should champion an open-door policy to encourage everyone to speak their minds about their concerns or workplace problems they’re experiencing.
Fostering a transparent workplace builds trust and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Quality of a Good Boss #8: Positivity
When The Predictive Index surveyed 1,038 workers across 13 different industries, they found that 28% of the respondents say team building is the top skill their managers lack. And that was the most common response by a wide margin.
But one of the best ways to team build is through a positive attitude.
Negativity isn’t a quality that will help anything in the workplace, especially when it comes to progress.
It breeds pessimistic thoughts and destroys morale.
Bosses should always be positive about the tasks at hand, no matter how insurmountable they might seem or what problems are thrown their way.
Also, it isn’t wise to be overly positive where it is not needed. Sometimes, the truth needs to be said even if it’s hard for others to hear.
But always remember this: Your employees need hope and positivity in order to get through the day, so don’t let your bad mood prevent them from being productive.
Quality of a Good Boss #9: Integrity
According to Robert Half Management Resources, 75% of workers and 46% of CFOs cite integrity as the most important quality of a business leader.
At the most basic level, integrity is doing the right thing, not the easy thing.
This includes standing up for your employees when they’re in the right, even if it means making you look bad.
Moreover, bosses with integrity don’t go behind people’s backs to say bad things about them. If they have something to say, they communicate with them privately.
Quality of a Good Boss #10: Emotional Intelligence
Sometimes your employees are going to make mistakes.
And they’ll need you to guide them through the process of getting back on track.
But unlike regular people who simply tell it like it is, bosses must do so tactfully because no one likes being told what to do, and no one likes being talked down to.
This is where emotional intelligence comes into play, and it’s a quality that some managers think they possess but do not.
Emotional intelligence is about having the ability to read people and understand how they’re feeling — whether that’s fear, anger, sadness or something else — and then reacting accordingly.
Quality of a Good Boss #11: Effective Communicator
One of your main goals as a boss is to delegate.
So this means you need to be able to break down your directions in an easy-to-follow manner.
Before giving someone an assignment, make sure you know what precise goal you want and how they can get there.
In one survey by the Harris Poll, 57% of workers said they were frustrated with their boss’s inability to give clear directions.
Quality of a Good Boss #12: Good Listener
Being a good listener is crucial to a lot of occupations. In sales, you’re taught to spend more time listening than speaking.
In customer service, you must have great listening skills as well in order to appease customers.
But a good boss is also a good listener.
You see, not all employees desire the same thing. For example, some might want to receive more responsibility, while others seek guidance and a little bit of freedom.
By listening to what your employees think, it will allow you to better manage them accordingly.
And it can also help you when it comes to collaboration.
If you lack the qualities of a good listener, then you might miss out on great ideas that your employees may have.
Quality of a Good Boss #13: A Cool Head
We see a lot of companies panic when it comes to something like a PR crisis. As a result, they make poor decisions, their stock plummets, and brand reputation takes a nosedive.
But keeping a cool head allows you to think more rationally.
As a team leader, you’ll often find yourself in turbulent waters.
So it’s absolutely imperative you keep your cool whenever something doesn’t go quite the way you hoped.
While a bad mood might be understandable, it’s best to put on a brave face and suppress your feelings.
This way you present a strong and stable front to your employees and keep them motivated.
Also, by doing this, you prevent employee morale from taking a hit.
Quality of a Good Boss #14: Focus on Strengths
Now there are some qualities that everyone possesses, whether they’re innate or learned.
But then there’s some qualities that some people just don’t have.
And that’s okay.
But what you want to do is identify what your employees’ strengths are and go all-in on them to maximize potential.
This can be strengths as a group or even on an individual basis.
According to a Harvard Business Review study on 22 different organizations across 45 countries, they found that focusing on team strengths increased profits by 14% to 29% and improved employee engagement by 9% to 15%.
Quality of a Good Boss #15: Love for Learning
If you want employees to follow your lead and move forward in whichever direction you decide to take, then they need to share your passion for learning and development.
And you, as the boss, set the example.
They need to be just as excited about moving up in the company and continuously improving themselves as you are.
That way, you’ll have a motivated workforce that’s highly invested in the brand.
Fortunately, most people are excited about career advancement opportunities.
According to LinkedIn, 94% of workers would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development.
As for the top skills employees are lacking, TalentLMS says they are:
- Communication/Collaboration
- Leadership
- Proactive thinking
Conclusion
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Your company is only as strong as its leaders.
As the novelist G. Michael Hopf once wrote …
“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
When leadership is weak, then your organization won’t stand a chance.
Humans are social creatures and often imitate the actions and behaviors of those above them in the hierarchy, such as a boss.
That’s how major frauds like the Maddof investment scandal are made possible. A culture of deceit starts at the top.
Anything from moral depravity to incompetence becomes the norm when leadership is unfit.
But if you possess the 15 qualities you read today, then your likelihood of being a good boss increases tremendously.
The good thing about these qualities is that anyone can learn them. Nobody is stuck being the exact same person forever if they don’t want to be.
Granted, it might take a little patience.
And it may even be frustrating at times as you evolve as a team leader.
But I promise you’ll come out the other side stronger than ever.
As usual, thanks for taking the time to read, and if you want to share anything, let me know in the comments below.
Keep Growin’, stay focused.
Mark
