What Qualities do Employees looking for in Leaders
It is common knowledge to concentrate on what EMPLOYERS are looking for in an employee. But what do EMPLOYEES looks for in a Leader?
As great as the job might be, if there isn’t a good leader, employees will lose motivation and the zeal to work. Here are a few quality traits that most employees look for in a leader.
1. Positive Attitude and a Sense of Humour
Positive Attitude as a Way of Life
A leader can possess all of the main qualities on this list, but if they don't carry a positive attitude and aren't much fun to be around, the office environment will slowly get tiresome.
By keeping your team motivated and the energy levels up, your team will feel more energized and work even harder. Remember to maintain a balance of productivity and playfulness.
2. Honesty & Integrity
Your workplace and its employees are a reflection of yourself. If you stress on honest and ethical behaviour, your team will follow suit. By being open and honest with your team, you build a foundation of trust.
Never having to worry or stress about what a leader is going to do shows integrity and honesty. This is one of the most important qualities a leader must have.
3. Easy to Work With
Employees want a boss who is easy to work. They automatically then look forward to attending office. By having a great sense of humour, flexibility, patience, and being a good listener, helps the employees perform better and creates a pleasant working environment.
4. Lead by Example
Expecting employees to simply follow your orders because directives were issued from higher positions will not keep them around for long.
Organizations where leaders led in a manner that demonstrated company values showed better output than those where leaders are not upfront. Be the perfect example of a leader who shows dependability and a strong work ethic.
Leaders need to be the role model of how they want their employees to perform. If you expect your employees to work hard, then you must work hard as well. If you want your employees to provide excellent customer service, then you need to show the same as well.
5. Hard Work & Commitment
If you expect your employees to work hard and produce quality work, then you should lead by example. There is no better motivation than seeing your boss working along with you and proving that hard work can be done at every level.
You need to create a good reputation for not just being a hard worker, but also are known as a fair leader. Once you have gained the respect of your employees, they are more likely to work just as hard and produce quality results.
6. Communication
Knowing what you want to accomplish may seem clear in your head, but if you try to explain it to an employee who doesn’t quite understand your goals, then you know there is a problem. You need to then focus on your communication skills.
Being able to clearly and specifically describe what you want to accomplish is extremely important, especially as a leader. If you can’t explain your vision to your team, you will have a hard time working towards the same goal.
7. Connect with People
The best organizations know that the key to their success is the employees who are doing the work. The best way to engage them is to build meaningful friendships that motivate and inspire.
Most Influential, effective leaders know employees by name, care about who they are and understand that investing time in training, development, and recognition and reward programs will not only improve performance and productivity, but also build commitment and loyalty within the company.
8. Confidence
As a leader, you must be confident. This show that you are in control, which in turn helps build trust. Confidence shows that the leader knows what they are doing and how to get there.
Always keep your confidence level high and assure employees that any setbacks are natural and the important thing is to focus on the major goals of the company.
As the leader, your team will always take cues from you, so if you display a level of calm damage control, your team will learn from you. The main objective is to ensure that everyone works efficiently and moves forward.
9. Ability to Inspire
Make your team feel a part of the accomplishments of the company. Being able to inspire your team will stand you in good stead. Acknowledge the hard-work everyone has put in and don’t compromise on appreciation and praise. It is your job to sustain a positive environment.
It is important to remember that being a leader is hard a job. On top of all the workload given to you, featuring all of these qualities can sometimes get to be tiresome or too overwhelming.
The main goal as an employee is to look for these qualities, but still maintain the same understanding that you want to see from a leader.
