It’s no surprise that being a boss is hard work. There are forms to fill out, supplies to order, and most importantly, employees to manage. But while some people naturally excel at leadership, for others it’s a constant work-in-progress. To speed the process along, Inc.com contributor Geoffrey James studied the behaviors of successful leaders and noticed a few recurring traits. These traits are spelled out in James’ post titled “8 core beliefs of extraordinary bosses,” but we feel they can be condensed even further into three essential steps.
Step one: View business as an ecosystem
According to James, average bosses view business as a battlefield, employees as troops, and competition as the enemy who must be destroyed. What this does is create an antagonistic environment where staff members merely execute orders and are hesitant to take risks. On the other hand, extraordinary bosses treat their offices as an ecosystem housing a diverse set of individuals who each possess unique traits that, when recognized, enhance the business. This mindset allows employees to form relationships, take initiative, and above all, be personally invested in their work.
Step two: Treat management as a service
Mediocre managers behave as if employees merely exist to serve them, yet are incompetent when doing so. For example, they frequently interfere with delegated tasks, ignore any feedback, and figuratively place themselves on a pedestal to be feared and revered. In contrast, extraordinary managers believe they should serve their employees by providing them a general direction, sufficient resources, and room to work without intrusion—except in cases of emergency. This selfless approach reduces stress, and increases job satisfaction because employees aren’t dependent on the manager’s decisions.
Step three: Motivate with vision
Finally, ordinary managers tend to resort to threats of dismissal or punishment to motivate their staff. This has a habit of paralyzing decision-making, igniting animosity between people, and making employees resent having to show up in the morning. But, extraordinary managers believe that employees perform better when they enjoy their work–so they seek to inspire them versus berate them
To find your own inspiration in becoming an extraordinary boss, view James’ full list or visit his website at www.geoffreyjames.com.