What Makes a Great Leader?

One of the essential elements of a successful company is leadership. Managers drive productivity, coordinate efforts towards goal achievement, set the pace and tone for each and every shift. While employees may be employed by a company, they are truly working for their managers.

Having effective leaders in place can keep retention rates at an all-time high and facilitate company growth. Hiring and cultivating leaders should be a main goal for any business, but what makes a great leader?

Air of Authority and Professionalism

One of the marks of a good leader is that you know who is in charge as soon as you encounter them. A good leader will be providing direction, answering questions, assisting with tasks, and looking to the future when running a shift. “Supervising” should never look passive and a manager should always be a model of professionalism, although what that looks like may be different from company to company.

Respect for Others

Speaking respectfully to employees, working with their needs, and extending trust can go a long way when it comes to retention and job satisfaction. Great leaders also have a respectful relationship with vendors, employers or top managers, customers, and any other person that interacts with the company. Respectfulness can open doors to success, great leaders know this.

Eye for the Big Picture

Coordinating team efforts and utilizing specific employee skills to maximize profits and reach goals is the main job of an effective manager. Doing this takes a certain perspective, however, a big picture focus. Great leaders are adept at figuring out how each small step will help or hinder the ultimate goals of the company.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Change is unavoidable, ideal leaders are flexible enough to be open and excited for change and adaptable enough to carry on operations while adjusting. Even more than being able to embrace change, the best leaders are able to invigorate the rest of the team to make changes work in the company’s favor.

Ability to Help Others Grow

Inspiring others and encouraging their growth and development are causes near to most great leaders’ hearts. Allowing employees to step up and take on new tasks, providing guidance and criticism throughout the process can create a team that is cross trained and able to function effectively, even through challenges like staffing issues. Being able to guide employees towards development materials that will further growth will also aid productivity and increase satisfaction.

Hiring and Cultivating Great Leaders

Hiring great leaders isn’t easy, as you never truly know what a manager’s performance will be until they are in place. HR software can help in some ways, providing assistance with resume parsing and interviewing that will help you to highlight candidates with the greatest potential.

Cultivating great leaders from within is another worthwhile strategy, however, as you can select employees that you know possess the qualities you are looking for. Making training materials and certifications available through your HR software can assist you with hand crafting your future great leaders.

If you think that HR software could help you find and train your future leaders, we can help! Visit our vendor match page to find out how.

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