Does Your Boss Have These 4 Leadership Characteristics?

by Kathy Seaton

Your boss’s ability to lead you throughout your career can influence the way you experience your job on a daily basis. Bosses are the main channels that connect an organization to its employees while providing a motivating work environment that promotes growth and success. It’s important to recognize whether your supervisor holds key leadership skills that can make or break your future within a company. The following are four key characteristics to look for in your current or future boss:

They work confidently and with integrity.

A boss who encourages their employees to tackle projects and face tasks without fear of making mistakes is one that can truly lead a strong team. When employees feel they must tiptoe around their superiors, they tend to make more mistakes, sometimes being too fearful to ask questions or for help. A boss that can shepherd a group through challenges while continuing to meet objectives and goals without faltering is an inspiration and the spearhead of any successful organization.

They are passionate and compassionate.

It’s wonderful to work for someone who is truly passionate about their job. Not only does this make work more exciting but you can be assured that every task that’s being assigned is part of a collective vision or big picture. Working for someone who watches the clock and who is unwilling to put in extra effort to support a team of employees can quickly become cumbersome and dull. A boss that sees their life’s work as more than just a job is also more likely to be compassionate and treat their employees as equals within a team working together to succeed and perform optimally.

They want to see their employees succeed.

Receiving praise from your boss is always a great motivator, particularly when they make you feel like a valuable part of a group or operation. Employees that feel appreciated are more likely to put forth their best effort on the job and work harder and smarter, over all. A boss that isn’t afraid to award promotions to deserving employees doesn’t fear that their own value will be reduced. Instead, they are willing to build key relationships within an organization in order to give recognition to those who are working hard to grow and are able to take on new responsibilities.

They communicate clearly and are transparent.

Without clear communication, things in the workplace can go awry quickly. It’s important for a boss to maintain transparency with employees while also unequivocally stating their expectations and goals. Having an open channel of communication and frequent meetings where various aspects are discussed is vital to any organization. Keeping employees engaged and focused on objectives can always be done with constructive feedback along with praise and encouragement. It’s also very important for a supervisor to have communication open as a 2-way street! Bosses who take the time to listen to employee issues and concerns are able to create a productive and comfortable work environment that leads to great success.