Get to the top by communicating with the bottom.

Most people view leadership in business as a dictatorship. The boss barks the orders and the worker ants get to marching to get things done. This is a sad reality in all too many business models. Why is it sad? Shouldn’t people know their place? Well, yes... and no.

Imagine a workplace where the boss barks the orders and nothing else. Would you feel comfortable going to them with an issue or concern? Would you feel like they even wanted to hear it or like your concerns held any weight at all? Probably not. This kind of leadership model does not promote open communication and can all too often lead to miscommunications that could fester into harmful issues for the business or organization at play. Often times those worker ants see more of what’s actually going on in the business or organization and are valuable tools to identify problems and voice ideas on ways to change or improve the current methods being used. When a boss is strictly at the top of the pyramid it can not only cause miscommunication, but affect the attitudes and morale of employees which has a direct effect on the level of efficiency at which they work and the level of productivity reached. The flipside of the steep pyramid model of leadership is the too casual “we’re all equals here” type of management. While this type of work environment can certainly be fun, a leader who doesn’t distinguish themselves as such will have a hard time reigning in their employees when it’s crunch time. So how do you establish yourself as a leader while still engaging your employees in the leadership process?  Here are a few tips:

Be an open and truly listening ear.

            Open door policies are wonderful and promote open communication between employees and the leadership of your business or organization. When somebody comes to you with an issue, complaint, or suggestion don’t just hear them. Listen and follow through. Let them know that you’re addressing them and keep them updated along the way when resolving an issue if possible. If it’s something you can’t necessarily address right away or a suggestion that won’t particularly work for your business be open and honest about why and the logistics of your decision, don’t just say no. This type of open communication will create a sense of comfort within your organization that lets your employees know that they can go to leadership for any reason and not have to be afraid or feel embarrassed.

Correct problems when you see them.

            This can be one of the not-so-fun parts of the job, but it’s absolutely necessary. Where it becomes a matter of leadership is in the delivery of the correction. Don’t just spout off orders and tell people they’re wrong. Explain what it is that isn’t working with their current methodology and then explain to them the importance of the change you’re proposing. Build them up. Let them know that you’re correcting them not only to make your operation run more smoothly, but to help them be better at their job. When they’ve taken appropriate measures to correct the issue, make sure you acknowledge it. Lift them up and let them know they’ve done a good job.

Build up your piggy bank by getting EVERYONE’S 2 cents.

            This one goes hand in hand with being a listening ear, but deserves its own shout out. Don’t always wait for people to come to you with suggestions or issues. Go out and get opinions from your employees. Hold meetings where everybody is free to put in their 2 cents on whatever issue you’d like openly and freely. This will also instill a sense of importance into your employees and let them know that you care about their input even when there’s not a particular issue.

Trust that your employees are capable of doing their job.

            As a leader in business you have a lot of things to get done. It’s nearly impossible to personally oversee every single project going on under your roof and still be productive yourself. Trust your employees. You hired them because you felt they were the right fit for the job, so once you have given them an assignment trust that they know the right way to get it done. This will instill confidence in your employees and lessen your level of stress.

Engage your employees in building plans of action.

            Rather than just saying “this needs to get done and this is how we’re going to do it,” get your employees input. Have a meeting and say these are our goals and this is what needs to be the outcome, so how are we going to work together to get there? When your plan of action is employee generated it’s more likely to be enjoyable for them and something they feel they can achieve. It also makes it easier for everybody to stay on the same page with the project when that page is one they wrote themselves.

And finally, in the words of the great Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

            Respect goes a very long way. Respect your employees and in turn they’ll respect you. An air of mutual respect breeds open communication and quality productivity that is beneficial to everyone.

You have to give it, too!