The relationship between executives and employees is facing a crisis. Most employees consider good leaders one of the most important aspects of job satisfaction, yet almost a third of employees in the U.S. do not trust their managers. When leadership doesn’t have the trust and respect of their employees, they will find that retention suffers. Understanding what constitutes good leadership is the first step to improving the executive-employee relationship.
Communication Skills
One characteristic that great leaders all have in common is that they know how to communicate effectively. A strong leader provides employees with clear and direct feedback, guidance, and advice. Employees want to know if they are performing their job well, and they want to know what they can do to improve. Communication is also important because it shows employees that you are confident and capable of leading the team. The other essential element of communication is practicing good listening habits. Employees want to feel like their opinions are valued, so when managers talk over them they are more likely to feel under appreciated.
Vision
A strong leader has a vision and a game plan. They have long-term goals and set milestones to help the team reach those goals. You need to have a vision that is clearly defined so you can easily communicate that vision to the team in a way that they will understand and feel enthusiastic about. Nobody wants to do meaningless work. Being able to articulate objectives will help employees see that their work has a purpose. The milestones are also important. Setting milestones lets employees see that they are making progress toward their overall objectives. This helps keep the team motivated.
Approachability
Good leaders are open and approachable. They admit mistakes and ask questions when they need help. It humanizes you and makes you easier to approach. You want to be someone your employees can come to for advice. As a leader, part of your job is to guide and train employees, so they can learn and become better at what they do. If employees are afraid of you to ask your opinion, they are unlikely to improve. Having an open-door policy also helps. It shows employees right away that you’re available and you encourage open communication.
Transparency
Another sign of strong leadership is transparency. It is simply impossible to foster trust without it. If everything happens behind closed doors and the company’s overall goals are not made known to the employees, distrust is inevitable. Employees want to know that their values align with the values of the company they work for. They can’t know this if they are not aware of the company’s overall goals, and the role they play in achieving it.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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