10 qualities of effective business leaders

5. Do you inspire employees? Inspired employees work with greater enthusiasm and invent creative solutions to workplace problems. But how do you inspire someone? The task seems formidable and abstract.

The secret is to look at the big picture.

“The way to inspire people is to explain how the business service or product benefits employees, customers and society,” Rothman says. “That will charge workers with the enthusiasm required to perform at peak levels of excellence.”

Becoming an inspiring leader requires making a special effort to relate the goals of employee and company, Rothman adds. And that means moving beyond the management techniques one employed in the past.

“If you cannot get rid of what you previously used to do, if you cannot move beyond your prior expertise, you will not be an inspiring leader,” Rothman says.

6. Do you encourage your employees to contribute ideas? The best ideas come from people on the front lines. Top managers encourage employees to develop and communicate new and productive operational techniques based on their experience.

“You need to tap into the collective wisdom of the team,” Frankel says. “Creating an environment where ideas are appreciated, recognized and rewarded will spark ideas that help the business achieve its priorities.”

Encouraging worker contributions means going beyond the company suggestion box.

“Reinforce at every team meeting that there are no bad ideas,” Frankel says. “People will speak up only if they understand that they will not be punished for doing so – and that the company wants everybody’s ideas on the table.”

When the business comes up with a new goal, Frankel suggests throwing it out to the employee pool and inviting input.

“Many managers are afraid to ask for suggestions because they fear they will receive unworkable ideas,” she says. “The fact is that employee groups tend to be self-correcting and will reject ideas that are impractical.

7. Do you take a personal interest in your employees? Managers gain the trust of employees by engaging with them on a personal basis.

“Any good manager communicates a genuine interest in the well-being of workers,” Rothwell says. “Doing so doesn’t require a face-to-face structured conversation. It can be a hallway interaction of a minute or less. It can be a brief talk in the break room, the cafeteria, the parking lot or even online through direct messages.”

Employees who trust their managers will not only work with greater commitment, but they will share information they might otherwise keep secret from fear that it could damage their status in the company.

Suppose a valued worker plans to leave for employment elsewhere. If the worker feels secure enough to share the information, the manager can take steps to improve the work position in a way that will keep the person from jumping ship.

8. Do you help employees rebound from performance shortfalls? Effective managers take the initiative quickly when employees fall short in their duties.

“If someone is performing poorly, don’t surprise them at review time,” Goruk says. “Have an early two-way conversation.”

Goruk suggests leading off with an open-ended question such as: “How do you feel you’re doing?” This provides an opening for individuals to express anything bothering them about their work experience. The manager can then follow up with a statement such as: “You know what? I’ve noticed the same thing.”

The manager should provide specific examples of where the person fell short, including dates, times and numbers where possible.

“Ask what you can do to help them get back on track,” Goruk says. “Develop a game plan. What steps can they take to resolve the problem? And when will you have a follow-up meeting to assess progress?”

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