Think of the bosses, teachers, coaches, or leaders you’ve loved the most. What was it about them that made you feel this way?
In most cases, it was how they made you feel. Motivated. Challenged. Listened to. Trusted. A better version of you because of who they are.
I’ve practiced and studied leadership for 25 years in military, corporate, and volunteer settings.
Here some ways to be a boss people love working for — a leader people love to follow.
1. Practice Extreme Humility
Arrogance is the evil twin of confidence. It looks like confidence on the exterior, but on the inside it is filled with insecurity contained by condescension.
2. Listen Like Your Mission’s Success Depends On It
Listening is critical to effective leadership. You need the humility we discussed to get the most out of this practice though.
Listening without being threatened by ideas that differ from your own is how good leaders gather accurate information. If your people are afraid to tell you anything except for what they think you want to hear, that echo-chamber makes it impossible to make informed decisions.
3. Extend Trust At Every Opportunity
In almost every leadership article I write, I touch on micromanagement because I feel so strongly about how damaging it is.
The damage from micromanagement includes completely destroyed initiative in your followers, damaged trust, bruised respect on all sides, and ultimately weakened chances at successfully reaching your goals.