Most business experts around the world will agree that the most successful workplaces are those with high employee satisfaction. One of the biggest impacts to an employee’s morale at work is their sentiment towards their leader. A workplace where people love working with the boss, and not just for, them is a business that is ahead of the pack.
Here we explore 8 characteristics that make a lovable boss:
Reach for the stars
Most people – in the workplace and otherwise – aim for goals and achievements within their reach. However, the best bosses expect more from themselves as well as others.
People who are able to motivate themselves to believe they can achieve the impossible, and those who can inspire their employees to do the same, are the type of people the masses are drawn to.
Find the silver lining
When faced with issues and unexpected circumstances, most bosses’ reflex will be to see the situation as a problem that either needs solving or which needs to be waited out.
However, a person who is able to see a crisis as an opportunity for positive change and learning is someone whom others quickly develop confidence in following.
Having said this, great bosses do not only see opportunity in adversity, they will be able to see that sometimes necessary change needs to occur even when business is running smoothly.
Linking back to the believing in the impossible, a boss whom employees love working for will always look for inconceivable ways to improve the business. Why not make something good, great?
Be human
Good leaders exude an air of professionalism wherever they are. However great leaders are those who are also willing to show their human side.
Showing emotion is not a sign of weakness or unprofessionalism, it is human nature. If the business does well, show some excitement. If things are going poorly, show sincere disappointment, not in others but yourself. Everyone in your workplace has a human side, and you expect your friends and colleagues to showcase emotion, so why not your boss?
There is nothing more inspiring for employees than a boss who is able to share in their joys, their pain, and their worries. Showing humanity is one of a great leader’s most important weapons in winning the trust of their employees.
Raise them up
It is easy for bosses to throw employees under the bus, when things go wrong. However, the leaders who are able to foresee the error coming and are able to help employees avoid (and learn from) the negative outcomes, is one who is able to win the affection and respect of their employees.
Often times, when these bosses help employees avoid major mistakes, no one will ever know they had done it, as they never seek to take credit for such actions.
Don’t get complacent
The best and most loved bosses are those who never rest on their laurels. Regardless of what they have achieved in their careers, the most inspiring leaders are those who consistently prove themselves every single day.
These people are never too good get a little bit dirty, and no task is ever too menial. The best bosses believe that no one is entitled to anything other than what they have earned for themselves. And the best leaders know that it not just hard work, but constant self-improvement that is required for success.
Work with your team
The best leaders know the difference between leading by authority, and leading by permission.
A title of “boss” or “manager” gives many the impression that employees are purely there to work for them. The ones whom people love working for, know the importance of having people want to work with them.
Knowing the difference is crucial in becoming a great leader. While it is important to organise your employees different from how you organise yourself, your employees should feel like they want to be working with you, not coerced into it.
Work for the greater good
Great bosses will not only aim to achieve the business’ goals – they will work towards achieving a larger vision.
Whether it be to aid employees in advancing their careers, to give back to the community, or to offer meaningful help to struggling employees, great bosses work towards a vision which is larger than just the company’s profits.
The best bosses, and the ones people love to work with, are those individuals who take business personally.
Take the right risks
The best bosses are the ones who accept and respect the fact that they will have to make unpopular decisions, disappoint some people, and challenge the status quo.
These people take these risks not just to stand out, but because it is the right thing to do, and that the reward is worth it for them and everyone else.
Everyone has had a boss at some point in their career. Some will have been great, and some not so much. However it is very rare that bosses will inspire a workplace to love working with them. When you start to actively embody the characteristics above, you can become one of those rare breeds of bosses that are truly loved by their employees.
