Manager to Leader

Hear is the deal...I want leaders, not managers. It is so important to help staff feel a part of a team, group, etc. To be engaged at work increases job satisfaction and in the long run, encourages employees to stay in the job longer. The way to create employee engagement is through leadership. What I see happening is managers worrying about budgets, crisis, or losing their job. Instead creating competition and more silos, managers should be leading people to a state of excellence. I want to see managers create leadership positions for staff. Managers should be able to lead a group, delegate tasks, create job satisfaction among their team. They should be trusted leaders whom people want to work for. 

Small strides in leadership reduce needs to manage. 

Manage to people's strengths--encourage staff to do what they do, well. What are your staff good at? What projects, ideas, job duties will this person do well? What is their passion how can you (the manager) create opportunities for them to use their passion? 

Encourage the heart (Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge)--recognize and reward staff in every way you can. Find out how they like to be recognized. Remember birthdays, children's names, and how Grandma is doing. 

Create consistency and structure--help your staff know what to expect. Be fair in your judgements and act ethically. Be clear of your expectations as a leader. 

Set high expectations and communicate, communicate, communicate--share a vision of the future, where is your team headed and why. Explain and share your vision for your team. 

Feedback and evaluation--ask for feedback. What is going well? What needs improvement? How can we make your job easier? 

Hopefully, these few tips transform managers into leaders.