What Kind of a Leader Are You?

Whether you are a shift manager or the company owner, being in a leadership position is a serious responsibility. As a business leader, your actions and attitude can dramatically influence the rest of the team. It is up to you to ensure that the impact you have on the team is positive. Employees want to know that you care about them and appreciate what they bring to the table. They want to be treated fairly and respectfully. Strong leadership skills are vital to promoting positive company culture and avoiding legal trouble. Showing employees you care about them, maintaining a flexible mindset, offering opportunities for growth, and eliminating favoritism are some of the ways you can become a stronger business leader.

Sharpen These Leadership Skills to Grow Your Business’s Success  

Business leaders can make or break a small- or medium-sized business. One of the best things you can do to strengthen your business is to take an honest look at your own contributions to the company culture and workplace atmosphere. Consider ways that you can:

• Show employees you care about them. – Employees who feel valued are much more likely to go above and beyond for your company. Express your appreciation for your staff whenever possible and recognize employees’ contributions. Ask your employees for their input and genuinely consider their opinions.
• Maintain a flexible mindset. – Flexibility is an important but often overlooked leadership skill. Consider ways that you can be more flexible or meet the company’s needs in ways that accommodate your staff. A flexible attitude may even help you find new and better ways to accomplish your goals.
• Offer opportunities for growth. – Boredom can reduce employee productivity and damage the company culture. Offer ways that employees can keep their jobs interesting. This may include training opportunities where staff can learn new skills, take on additional projects, and strengthen their areas of weakness.
• Treat everyone fairly. – Favoritism and unfair treatment of employees can ruin employees’ enthusiasm for their jobs. It can foster a work environment in which employees are resentful of each other and unwilling to cooperate. Furthermore, unfair treatment can lead to claims of discrimination. It is against the law for employers to discriminate against employees because of their age, sex, race, religion, disability, or other protected characteristic. Many employers who face discrimination claims do not even realize that their behavior was unlawfully biased.  To avoid accidental discrimination, create detailed anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and ensure staff follow these policies. Document employee disciplinary action and always follow a written termination policy when letting an employee go.

Call Us for Help

Strong leaders create strong businesses. For dependable legal guidance regarding company policies and procedures, employee disputes, contracts, and more, turn to the Gierach Law Firm. Call our knowledgeable Naperville business law attorneys at 630-228-9413 today.

Sources:

Forbes

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission