Today’s post is from our regular Tuesday contributor, Sally.
With my new position and starting my MBA, it’s been an interesting last few months. The position I’m in has me overseeing 34 employees and as a first-time supervisor, I definitely came into the job trying to understand myself and how I was going to work with everyone. I also had to find a balance within this position because of the fact that many of my current employees used to be my coworkers too – which is something many people have to work out when they are promoted or moved up.
I have to say, it’s been extremely helpful beginning my MBA courses as well as my position, especially the last course I took, called Organizational Behavior. This class really concentrated on different leadership types and working within teams; I was able to learn the pros and cons of many leadership styles which gave me the benefit and encouragement to try a few different ones to see how my staff members responded and see if they would benefit.
One of the leadership styles I found to be the most successful and useful, was being a transformational leader. In this leadership style, the leader changes the organization’s strategies and culture so that the company has a better fit with the surrounding environment. They also then are able to inspire employees to work towards the vision they have, especially because they model the vision to give employees a better idea of what the goal is and what they are looking for.
Transformational leaders have a set of behaviors that they use to lead the change process within a company comprised of four elements; creating a strategic vision, communicating said vision, modeling the vision, and inspiring commitment to work towards the vision with employees. This leadership style really stood out to me because I personally am someone who greatly benefits from visuals and multiple explanations. I also see and understand what someone would like to see in an employer – someone who is respectful, dedicated, empathetic, etc. While employees benefit from having this type of leadership style, the company or organization then also benefits from having employees who are motivated and truly are engaged with their job. It’s not a perfect leadership style (but what one is), however, many companies have had great success with it.
While I have a ton of paperwork and planning for future things that I do for my job, I tend to be extremely heavy on communication with my staff; I think that is the most important aspect of the job and is reflected in the mutual respect we have with each other. There is a saying that goes ‘a happy employee means a happy customer’ and I really think that is so true. If your employee does not enjoy their job, that will be reflected in much of what they do.
While I have found a leadership style that works for myself and staff currently, what kind of leader are you? What have you found that works best with your staff or what did you appreciate about your current/previous bosses and their styles?
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Wow- 34 people? That would be a lot to manage! I’m not currently in a leadership position but I have noticed that my supervisor really appreciates it when I take control of projects and just do whatever needs to bee done to complete them. Of course I ask questions when I have them, but she appreciates it when I take charge of a project so she doesn’t have to worry about it. I guess I appreciate working for someone who will give you responsibility and doesn’t micromanage your work.
One thing I really like in my managers and upper management is consistency. It can be frustrating when these people want to change direction constantly. This wastes employees time, leads to frustration and lowers their engagement. Staying consistent with strategic direction, day-to-day operations and even positive/negative feedback can help make expectations very clear for employees.
Wow, I couldn’t imagine managing 34. :) For me, I always liked managers that are consistent, but also ones that you know are there with you to support you and the team as opposed to someone lording power over everyone else. That can be difficult to find at times in the corporate setting, at least what I had found.
For me, I loved managers without an ego who were focused on making their team shine, which is the type of leader I am. I feel as though it is my job as a leader to make those around me better. So I try to figure out what each person needs and then help them fulfill their own dreams. It makes me feel like a proud parent when I see them do well.
When I walk into places that are known to treat their employees well, I always feel great as a customer. Lululemon is one that comes to mind.
My current team can be a bit of a handful. It’s always a delicate balancing act between being flexible and being too flexible. I want my team to be able to come to me and bring problems to me, but I also wan them to be able to problem solve on their own before they bring me issues. It’s a work in progress :-)
I think I’d have a hard time taking on a leadership role…I’ll have to work on those skills. I’d have to say the issues with my current bosses style is the micromanagement and lack of trust in the employees. In turn, the employees lack trust and respect for the boss.
A manager who believes you can do the work and also a manager who knows what your work involves. Too many times I have worked with managers who had no idea what I did. How can you be effective that way?
Ah, Organizational Behavior – one of the “core” classes of your MBA program, right? Fun stuff. Org Behavior classes can be very insightful although the principles can sometimes be difficult to actually apply to real life (that’s my experience anyway). And, taking on a promotion to a supervisory position and starting your MBA is a lot to take on! You’re going to be very busy for a while, but it will pay off in the end. Congrats!
I took organizational behavior in college, and I loved the class. I remember learning about the leadership methods and largely agreeing with the transformational leadership style. I’m not in a managerial position, but it was insightful nonetheless. I think constructive criticism, communication and properly motivating your employees is the best. I’ve had several bosses who failed at communicating their wants, making employees confused on policies, and I’ve had others that have just yelled at people for mistakes. Not good.
I like who clearly communicate goals and expectations. One who gives you the tools you to do the job and let’s you do it. I don’t want to be micromanaged but I also want to know that if I need some additional guidance, their door is open. This is the kind of leader that I hope am to my staff. Clarity is something that is really important to me as I want everyone to understand their responsibilities and feel confident that they can do them successfully. A good leader graciously accepts praise for her leader/boss but also makes sure that everyone receives appropriate credit too. They see their staff success as more important as their own. It sounds like you’re doing everything right to be the best leader to your team, Sally. They are lucky to have a leader that wants to support and guide them to success.
There is definitely a big difference between being a boss and a leader. I think having clear communication and clear expectations of your staff are big deals, as well as taking care to make sure everyone is aligned with the goals.
I think it’s important to have a boss who is supportive, available, and clearly states expectations.