Supervisor, Manager, Leader: The Basics of Being a Boss

by Mike Kraus

it is arguably the most important trait that a leader can possess and demonstrate.

you must have unquestioned integrity.

practice honesty and truthfulness in everything...

Your people must be able to absolutely trust you and believe everyt...

Don’t be known as just a starter; also be known as a finisher.

Courage

courage to do what is right.

standing up for what is right, even when it’s not popular; admitting that you made a mistake; taking responsibility for a mistake made by your people; showing no tolerance of unacceptable behavior; changing negative employee behavior when necessary; or making a tough, ethical decision.

You simply will not be able to please everyone in the organization. Being an effective leader is not easy. I repeat: being an effective leader is not easy. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to be a good leader and to do the right thing.

Decisiveness

is the ability of a leader to make a decision in a timely manner. Your people, your customers, and your organization are waiting for you to make a decision when an issue comes up.

The point here is that dragging your feet or putting off the decision rarely makes the issue better. You must be decisive and make the call so the organization can move forward.

Dependability/Reliability

a leader must always be dependable not only to his or her subordinates but also to his or her superiors.

employees must be able to rely on their leader for guidance and support.

superiors must be able to rely on the leader to not only carry out the daily mission of the organization but also to inspire the employees to be loyal to the company and work ...

Initiative

initiative /iˈniSH(ē)ədiv/ I. noun 1. the ability to assess and initiate things independently • use your initiative, imagination, and common sense. 2. [in sing.] — the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do • we have lost the initiative and allowed our opponents to dictate the subject. 3. an act or strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation; a fresh approach to something • a new initiative against car crime. 4. a proposal made by one nation to another in an attempt to improve relations • diplomatic initiatives to end the war • a peace initiative aimed at reducing tensions. 5. (the initiative) — (especially in some US states and Switzerland) the right of citizens outside the legislature to originate legislation.

No supervisor wants to have to tell an employee what to do all day long.

employee should be capable of completing the assigned tasks.

When those tasks are completed, he or she should have enough initiative to come up with a good idea of what else could be proacti...

Tact

Everyone has a different personality.

displaying courtesy and good manners will help you accomplish more than will being rude. Being polite is not a sign of weakness in a leader. Practicing patience and tolerance is also critical.

you are dealing with different personalities and none of them will be exactly like you.

Being a leader means you have to make tough decisions—decisions that won’t always be popular or that may result in frustration o...

Tact also earns the leader additional respect for how they handled the process.

Fairness

two sides to every story,

Always strive to keep an open mind. Try not to prejudge. When it’s time to make your decision, fairness must prevail.

Enthusiasm

try to find enjoyment in doing the job well. Enthusiasm is infectious and contagious; it will definitely spread to your people and, as a result, translate into improved productivity.

Sacrifice

Being an effective leader will require some sacrifice.

must be willing to sacrifice time, effort, and, most of all, credit or glory for the good of her people and the organization. Simply

A leader isn’t a real leader if she believes it’s all about her own glory.

Loyalty

Showing dedication, faithfulness, and loyalty to your organization, your superiors, and of course your subordinates is a trait that will most assuredly earn you respect from above and below.

Consistency

Consistency is arguably one of the most important traits that a leader can demonstrate. A supervisor or manager who consistently demonstrates the traits of integrity, courage, decisiveness, dependability, initiative, tact, fairness, enthusiasm, and loyalty is on his or her way to becoming an effective leader.

Without the mutual appreciation of my people, and our willingness to work together to get through those extremely difficult times, I would have failed. I want to be clear on this subject. I don’t want you to have to read between the lines. You must understand that your people will make or break you. No matter how good a supervisor or manager you are, if you don’t put your people first and understand their importance in the big picture, you will never be truly successful.

“It begins and ends with my people.”

Leading, caring for, developing, supporting, and inspiring your people is the only way to ensure that the mission and the vision of your organization are met—period.

“People have discretionary energy, they won’t give it to you if they aren’t treated with dignity and respect.”

If you’re effectively leading them at the same time, those instances of negative behavior will be few and far between.

“Do as I say, not as I do” is the lazy leader’s mantra. Simply put, you also end up looking like a hypocrite.

it’s actually OK to have fun at work. We all have a job to do, but no one says we can’t enjoy ourselves while working. Happy employees who know their leaders appreciate and care about them will also be productive employees.

where the organization came from?

A leader must learn the history of the company.

leader must appreciate the struggles the company has gone through to get to where it is today.

a leader must teach his or her people to appreciate that history.