Leading with determination and authenticity
There are many articles on the subject of personnel management on the internet.
A good Google search or a seminar, even for the more experienced Head of Sales, can take up and deepen special topics – from cooperative leadership to conflict management to dealing with Generation Z.
“Few people realise that ultimately, they can and must lead only one person.
That person is themselves.”
Peter F. Drucker, 1909 – 2005, Founder of modern management theory
These five tips were particularly helpful for me:
Tip 1: Clear distribution of roles
Often there are no job profiles – this is the first place to start. Employees need clear orientation and a framework of order. For a functioning team, the manager should clearly define the roles and tasks and also communicate them to the other team members. Then the work in the team will run more smoothly and there will be fewer conflicts about responsibilities.
Tip 2: Involve the employees
This is one of the most common mistakes. The “head of” should not pull everything on himself and learn to delegate properly.
Employees who are allowed to make suggestions, raise concerns about potential problems and express constructive criticism are more motivated. Own projects give employees greater creative freedom and help them identify more strongly with their role.
However, “good leadership” is important here. A “wish-you-what” or a “laissez-faire” style of leadership will only lead to problems in the medium term.
Tip 3: Establish a culture of mistakes
In Germany, we have a hard time dealing with mistakes and failures in the right way.
When employees make mistakes, the boss must deal with them confidently.
Point it out to the employee in a one-on-one conversation, sit down with him and help him so that he learns from it and it doesn’t happen again.
And if it does happen again, an appraisal interview can also help.
But it must also be clear that an employee who has a permanently high error rate cannot be kept in the team in the long run.
The other team members have to absorb the poor performance and this puts pressure on the mood and turnover.
Tip 4: Appreciate and motivate
Appreciation is not just a good salary and bonus.
Taking an interest in your employees and knowing them is part of every empathetic manager’s job.
It should go without saying that praise and reprimand should only be used in a measured manner in one-on-one conversations.
But be careful! A too close relationship with individual colleagues or the entire team makes it difficult for the manager to demand performance and makes him vulnerable.
Tip 5: Leading by example
Only managers who plan strategically, make decisions, are results-oriented, communicative and authentic can lead successfully.
Those who do not fulfil these requirements are seen as weak and therefore vulnerable.
Even if hierarchies are flat in many companies, this does not mean that “make-a-wish” or “grassroots democracy” are the motto here.
In addition, many employees also want superiors who help them with their professional and career development.
This is achieved through “leading by example”, workshops and regular well-prepared team meetings.
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