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The Ideal Boss
A good manager can make or break your
career but do you know how to spot the good ones from the bad ones? We
reveal what it takes to be a good leader and show you how to get the
most from your boss.
Who do you think of as a good leader? Maybe it’s a politician, a famous businessman, a religious figure, or maybe it’s someone closer to home – a teacher, a parent, an aunt or uncle? Leaders can be found in all aspects of our lives, but what sets the good ones apart from the not so good?
There have been countless studies done into leadership and lots of books and papers written on the subject. Perhaps no organisation has researched the topic so much as The RBL Group, who advise a number of big companies on HR and leadership practices. The issue of leadership is thought to be so crucial to a company’s success, that the group is conducting a Top Companies for Leadership study, along with Hewitts Associates and Fortune magazine, to find out what companies can and should do to make leadership happen. One of the brains behind the study is Dave Ulrich, a Professor from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a Partner at The RBL Group, and one of the most respected authorities on leadership.
“Good leaders engage our minds, hearts, and souls,” says Ulrich. “They offer aspirations that change our actions and give us hope in an otherwise difficult world. Leaders set visions and make decisions that deliver results.”
There’s no doubting that good leaders are vital to the success of a business, but how does a manager affect your own career? “Effective leaders are role models for those whom they lead,” says Ulrich. “Much like a parent who is thrilled with the success of their children, leaders find joy in the next generation of leaders. A career progresses when leaders are coaches and mentors who guide and shape our careers.”
John from Yorkshire knows how harmful a poor leader can be to your career. His first role was as a sales executive for a publishing company. After performing exceptionally well he was moved to head up a new department in licensing, an area that neither he nor his manager knew much about. Pretty much left to his own devices, he quickly became de-motivated, not seeing the results he was used to when working in sales. His performance began to drop and eventually he was given a warning from his employer. “My manager didn’t see that I was being poorly managed,” he says, “and offered no guidance or support to help me get back on my feet.” John and his employer parted company soon after, and ironically, his manager lost his job not long after that. However, John still feels bitter about the whole episode, because it effectively ended what had promised to be a sparkling career.
When accepting a job, it pays to remember that your manager could be partly responsible for how well you do. By asking the right questions you’ll soon see if your manager is an effective leader or not. Ask yourself whether your boss shows a commitment to learning and growing and a sense of nurturing or does he or she remain isolated and more focused on his or herself than others? Is your boss open to new ideas, looking forward rather than backwards and how does he or she measure success?
If you’re fortunate enough to work for a good leader, you have to do your part too and nurture the relationship. According to Ulrich, being a good follower means listening, learning, and responding to your boss. “Listening means figuring out what your boss wants before it is requested. Learning means watching and observing, so that you can learn what to do in certain situations so you don’t have to go through failures to get to insights. Responding means letting your boss know you appreciate the example they’re setting and working to adapt (not adopt) your boss’ approach to your specific situation.”
With the right training and nurturing, we all have the potential to be good leaders, says Ulrich. “Hopefully, the best leader we see is when we look in the mirror and can identify and accept our strengths, but then build on those strengths to strengthen others.”
The Leadership Code
According to The RBL Group, good leaders possess the following five traits:
- Strategists – they have a point of view about the future rooted in customer expectations and evident in strategic statements
- Executors – they’re able to make things happen, to build accountability and to make tough decisions
- Talent managers – they know how to communicate and build current talent by making sure that people have both competencies and commitment to do their work
- Human capital developers – they invest in the next generation and make sure that future leaders will have skills and opportunities for their future
- Personal proficiency – they have personal credibility because they act with integrity, inquisitiveness, emotional intelligence, authenticity, and they take care of themselves
If you think you’re being poorly managed in your job, take a look for a new one at www.jobsite.co.uk. To discover more about the top companies for leadership and the work of The RBL Group, visit www.rbl.net
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