What Makes A Great Boss?

 What Makes A Great Boss?

It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to be a boss - after all, the success of the entire organization rests on the boss’ shoulders - and for this reason, there’s constant pressure to do things right.

With that said, everybody prefers to work for a good boss.
When the boss is good to employees, they naturally want to do their jobs well - if for no other reason, at least to make their boss happy.
Having a great boss makes the workplace friendly and inspiring, such that the workers wake up every day, looking forward to being at work.
There are some traits all good bosses have in common, and it’s mostly because of these attributes that employees love to stick with them.
In this blog, we’ll be highlighting some of the qualities that make a boss great!

Number 1 - Communicates The Company’s Vision Clearly

Communication is the foundation of teamwork.
A great boss knows that in order to achieve great success with their team, he or she must clearly explain the vision of the company in a way that inspires employees to want to help achieve it.
An effective boss also knows that they need to present these goals in a convincing manner. 
When employees clearly understand the targets and goals of the organization, they have a good sense of direction, and their activities become more streamlined toward actualizing those goals.

Number 2 - Creates A Workable Strategy On How To Achieve The Vision

An excellent boss ensures that every task he or she delegates is connected to the vision of the company.
This way, even the most minute task that each one of the employees performs, takes them one step closer to achieving the company’s set target.
To do this, a great boss writes out smart goals related to the business strategy, which ultimately resonates toward achieving success for the organization.
The boss also finds a way to always remind the staff of what their targets are, and also assigns milestones with which he or she measures their results, and makes corrections when necessary.

Number 3 - Sets Realistic And Clear Targets

Great bosses don’t assign cluttered work.
They clearly specify the work description of every staff member, in a way that the employees have a clear understanding of their tasks and what is expected of them.
Research has shown that having a clearly defined work description reduces stress at the workplace.
A good boss can thus reduce the stress of their workers by discussing with them, one-on-one; to make them understand the roles they need to play, to ensure the success of the organization.
A great boss also gives timely updates whenever there is a change in expectation.
Whenever these changes occur, good bosses also clearly explain what the new tasks are, and the best way to execute them.

Number 4 - Makes The Workplace Conducive To The Workers

The treatment employees get at the workplace affects their productivity.
If the workplace is conducive and friendly, it drives them toward getting excellent results.
A great boss will provide the encouragement, respect and trust employees need to unleash their creativity and reach their full potential.

Number 5 - Doubles As A Coach

One amazing attribute of a great boss is that they themselves are good at the job they’ve assigned to their workers.
This gives them the ability to lead by example.
A great boss therefore is able to mentor, teach and direct their team on how to reach their set goals.
In doing this, they try to not be imposing or talk in a condescending manner that would make the staff feel their efforts aren’t good enough.
Better put, a great boss applies wisdom in coaching their team - this way, they simply direct and allow their employees to make the necessary corrections.

Number 6 - Empowers Employees

Everyone loves to feel that their boss appreciates their proficiency and expertise.
Therefore, a good boss allows staff to make some decisions concerning tasks - especially those within their field of specialty.
By giving them this freedom, employees get the opportunity to prove themselves, by creating solutions and achieving results - without their bosses “spoon-feeding” them with instructions.
Employee empowerment provides the avenue for employees to become top-performers, grow in their careers, unleash their creativity, and build their confidence.

Number 7 - Respects The Perspectives Of Employees

Great bosses do not act like overlords.
They value the thoughts and ideas of their employees, and always seek their perspectives. 
When a boss asks for the perspective and feedback of an employee, it makes the employee feel that the boss holds them at high esteem and values their input into the success of the company.

Number 8 - Provides Feedback

A great boss gives timely feedback during projects and assignments.
They check on the employee from time to time and give feedback at every crucial stage of the job - before giving their final feedback at the end of the project.
By giving timely feedback, an effective boss gives the staff the opportunity to correct any anomaly on time, so it doesn’t affect the final result.
Furthermore, even when giving negative feedback, great bosses make their reviews constructive and instructive - in a way that’s encouraging instead of deterring the efforts of the staff.

Number 9 - Cares About The Welfare Of Their Employees

Good bosses are neither snobbish nor hostile.
They care about the personal life of their employees.
They try to create a certain level of personal relationships with their workers - such that the workers can feel free to talk to them about their worries.
They ask about the welfare of their employees, because they understand that a sound personal life yields productivity at the workplace.
Which takes us to the next point…

Number 10 - Supportive

Good bosses care for and support their staff.
They understand that showing emotions once in a while doesn’t make one weak, so they’re not shy to show their human side.
They understand that their employees are not immune to personal challenges - so when issues of illness, a family emergency and other such things occur, a great boss shows compassion and provides support for their workers.
This makes the employees feel appreciated, and drives them toward greater productivity.

Number 11 - Shares Personal Experiences

Workers get a great deal of motivation when their bosses tell them their personal stories.
By sharing stories of their past challenges, and how they overcame them to get to their current level, great bosses inspire their team to strive toward success.
Everyone wants to advance in their career, and there’s no better place to draw the necessary inspiration than the workplace itself.
Great bosses understand this, so they use their personal stories to teach and inspire their staff.
This also improves the relationship between the boss and the team, as the team members feel a personal connection with their boss.

Number 12 - Shows Appreciation

A great boss does not hesitate to praise employees when they do well.
They do this either in private or sometimes in the presence of other teammates.
But in either case, this boosts the morale of the staff, and also encourages them to do better.

Number 13 - Identifies Unique Talents Of Each Employee

A good boss is a talent manager.
They have a way of observing each employee, to find out what their unique talents are.
After they have identified these talents, they help each employee develop such talents - in a way that will benefit both the employee and the organization.
By doing this, the boss helps employees grow and increase productivity.
Furthermore, it makes employees feel good when they’re appreciated for contributing positively to the growth of the company.

Number 14 - Shares Necessary Information

A great boss is always very transparent to the employees.
They don’t keep them in the dark on necessary information, especially the ones that will affect the success of their operations.
Although a boss doesn’t need to share confidential information and company secrets with everyone, they tactically apply wisdom to know what they should tell employees and what they shouldn’t.
He or she updates the team with information concerning company performance, departmental issues, company successes and challenges, sales metrics, and so on.
A great boss also brainstorms with the team on how to solve problems and get solutions.

Number 15 - Strong Decision Maker

A great boss thinks thoroughly about every issue, analyses suggestions, and makes final decisions.
They are not indecisive people who get confused on what to do.
This doesn’t make them tyrants or dictators, however.
A great boss does due diligence with research, consults the relevant stakeholders and takes lots of things into consideration before making decisions.

Number 16 - Composed In Every Situation

Great bosses don’t let their emotions get the best of them.
They know how to manage their feelings and react appropriately at the workplace. 
Even when things go wrong, great bosses never show anger.
They stay calm and try to work toward a solution instead of dwelling on the problem.
This trait reduces tension in the workplace and makes employees believe in their boss’s ability to handle any situation.

Number 17 - Treats Everyone The Same

A great boss treats all employees equally.
They understand that giving preferential treatment to some staff and leaving others aside creates discord and bitterness in the workplace, so they avoid partiality and favoritism.
In conclusion, every company hates to suffer employee turnover, especially when it comes to losing their most credible hands.
For this reason, every boss who wants to maximize their available human resources should acquire these characteristics, and apply them in their daily operations.
We want to know what you think!

How does your boss compare to the points in this list?
And if YOU ARE a boss, how DO YOU compare to this list?
Are there any other traits or skills that we missed?
Let us know in the comments below!
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