From Our Founder: How to Become a Great Boss

Becoming a great boss is more than having a specific title or a large salary, it’s also about inspiring and leading your team to success while building a positive work environment. You need to set a solid foundation starting with yourself so that your team has a baseline of their expectations. Your team will look to you for guidance; you are the standard.

Three Tips That Can Help You Become a Great Boss:

Lead by Example

As a boss, your actions speak louder than words. It is critical to demonstrate the behavior and work ethic you expect from your team. If you are late to meetings or miss deadlines, it sends the wrong message to your team and undermines your authority. It is easy to fall into the headspace where you don’t need to be 100% daily. It makes all the difference when setting this example for your team if you’re not even meeting the standards you set.

On the other hand, if you are consistently organized, punctual, and diligent, your team will notice and follow your lead. One of the worst things a boss can do is act as though the rules don’t apply to them. Just because you might be in a higher position of power does not allow you to break your own rules; instead, a great boss would lead by example.

Communicate Effectively

Communication is crucial to any successful relationship, and it is no different when working with your team. You have to listen. Take the time to genuinely listen to your team’s concerns, and don’t shut them out. You also need to provide regular feedback and ensure everyone is on the same page, otherwise there will be situations where the vision is lost in translation between idea and execution.

Regular team meetings and one-on-one conversations can help you stay connected and ensure everyone understands what is expected of them. One of the most important things to communicate effectively is expectations. At ResiBrands, we use the acronym P.A.T. (Purpose Action Timeline) this allows us to set clear expectation whenever assigning anyone a task.

Empower Your Team

One of the most essential qualities of a great boss is empowerment! You should be encouraging your team to take ownership of their work, give them the autonomy to make decisions, and provide them with the resources they need to succeed. It would be best if you regularly thought of ways to help them grow and reach their full potential.

Remember not to put a ceiling on your team’s growth. By opening up that conversation, there will be more room for them to express themselves and gain experience. By empowering your team, you boost their confidence and motivate them to excel. A great boss, but more than that, a great leader always raises others and empowers them to be the best they can be.

Tie it All Together

Now that you’ve read through our three main tips of setting a solid example, keeping an option dialogue, and empowering your team, take a moment to think of ways you can implement this. In your day-to-day work setting think of your team and how you might be able to uplift them to better explore their growth. A great boss can make or break a workplace, a great boss will encourage their team’s growth and opportunity by keeping an open dialogue with no judgment. Not putting a cap on your team’s skillset and knowledge will help empower them to grow as your company does.

One way that a great boss can create an environment for growth and opportunity is by asking their team members what they need to develop their skills and knowledge. This could be through training and development programs, mentoring and coaching, or even just providing opportunities to work on new projects and challenges. By being open to their team’s feedback and ideas, a great boss can help create a culture of continuous learning and improvement. An empowered team with a great leader and excellent communication can overcome any and all challenges a company may face, and accomplish great things along the way.