There have been volumes written and countless studies done on how to improve as a manager, regardless of your industry or the size of the team you lead. But the key to success lies in that very last word: lead. Because the best managers out there aren’t just managers. They’re leaders.

“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” (Bill Bradley)

Among the top leadership skills is a person’s ability to know what their employees need to succeed in their own jobs, and then meeting those needs. Managers who stand out as true leaders accomplish this in several ways. As outlined by Gallup in the criteria for its Exceptional Workplace Award, these shining stars tend to share common behaviors including:

  • Connecting a common purpose to individual and team activities.
  • Acknowledging the opinions of team members and acting upon this feedback.
  • Coaching their teams in ways that allow for genuine candor.
  • Committing to one meaningful conversation per week with each team member.
  • Motivating others by connecting their work to their innate tendencies.
  • Recognizing and rewarding milestones and jobs well done.
  • Caring about their employees as real people.
  • Making it their number-one priority to develop new stars.
  • “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

    A key aspect of management success is being a person whom others want to follow. Every action you take during your management tenure at an organization helps determine whether or not this will be the case. Here are a few tips to get you started:

    Build relationships.

    “Great leaders are willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. Poor leaders sacrifice the people to save the numbers.” (Simon Sinek)

    Get to know each of your employees as people, not just cogs to keep the corporate wheel turning.

  • Manage by walking around. Stop and interact with people at their desks or workstations and, without taking up too much time, ask not only about work, but also about how their lives are going. How was their weekend? How is their son’s football team doing this season? How’s their mom feeling after her surgery? In short, show that you care.
  • Help people maintain needed work/life balance. This has never been more crucial than in today’s world. Relationships aren’t only about the bottom line on a production spreadsheet, though that’s certainly crucial to everyone’s future. Make them about the people behind those figures.
  • Communicate often and well.

    “Leadership is the act of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.” (Seth Godin)

    Communicate effectively in person, print, texts, emails, and verbal interactions. If necessary, sharpen your skills in areas like active listening, public speaking, and confrontation and conflict resolution.

  • Hint: Often, the most effective communication occurs when you say nothing at all. Start by serving as the sounding board a person needs to air their views or ideas. Acknowledge that you have heard and that you understand. You’ll learn to pinpoint when the time is right to respond.


  • The PrideStaff team is here to help your staff and manage your workforce more effectively – and develop stronger leadership skills in yourself and your team members in the process. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

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