Small businesses are currently trying to pull out all the stops to provide a great employee experience and retain their best employees. But all of these efforts are doomed to fail if companies ignore the factor that has the most negative impact on employees every day: bad managers. These are usually characterized by a lack of leadership skills.
Leadership competencies in small businesses illustrated on a clipboard.
According to a recent Gallup study, only 15% of employees feel really comfortable in their company and almost three quarters of employees only do their job by the book. Bad managers are one of the main reasons why employees leave their company.
It doesn't matter whether you blame poor hiring practices, a lack of adequate manager training, or the Peter Principle . As long as a small company does not take action against poor management, it risks losing its best employees every day.
But what exactly does a manager with the necessary leadership skills bring? Small companies that recognize and promote good managers increase the satisfaction of their employees . This of course also increases the chances of retaining them. But to do this, small companies need to know which leadership styles lead to success.
To help you know what to prioritize when training your managers, we list five classic leadership skills that research shows every manager should have. We also give tips on how these important skills can be specifically promoted in a small company.
1. Reliability
This is what the research results say
Google has been researching what makes good managers for years. The analysis of thousands of employee questionnaires showed that reliability is one of the most important leadership skills. The more reliable and consistent a manager was rated by his or her direct reports, the better the rating was.
Why reliability is one of the most important leadership skills
Dynamic, eccentric entrepreneurs like Elon Musk or Richard Branson undoubtedly have charisma and make headlines. But do you really want someone like that as your boss? Definitely not.
In fact, the more boring the manager, the better. The reason for this is simple: when employees know what to expect from their manager in their day-to-day work, it gives them a set of guidelines to follow. It is relatively clear what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do, which actually creates a certain amount of freedom.
But if employees never know for sure what to expect from their superiors, these guidelines will never be clearly defined. If something is OK one day and suddenly isn't the next, a certain amount of uncertainty arises.
How to Promote Reliability in Leadership Development
Reliability and consistency are based on three basic elements: punctuality, open communication and emotional intelligence.
The first point shouldn't be too challenging. A manager who you never know will show up to a meeting on time (or even show up at all) is the opposite of reliable. You can try to control this with deterrents, like making tardiness part of performance reviews, but nothing is as effective as setting a good example yourself - from the top down. If the CEO is never on time, the managers aren't either.
Poor communication can be trickier to fix because it can be an individual problem or one that affects the whole company. First, you should offer training on effective communication, both in face-to-face conversations and email communication. This should also include workshops for managers to learn about the different communication styles of each leader and to expand their individual leadership skills. Second, you should refine your company's goal-setting process to ensure that every leader knows what is expected of their department and can communicate accordingly.
Finally, managers need to learn to manage their own emotions. If they are elated one day and depressed the next, their employees will never have a solid foundation. They should be given a variety of stress management techniques to help them at least appear more balanced .
2. Empathy
This is what the research results say
Development Dimensions International (DDI) analyzed more than 15,000 executives from 300 companies over a decade and found that empathetic managers achieve 40% better results . This applies "both to overall performance and to their coaching, motivating their employees, planning and organizing, and decision-making."
Why Empathy is One of the Most Important Leadership Competencies
Empathy promotes trust. When employees feel that their manager truly understands them, they are more likely to trust them.
Empathetic leaders are also able to bring out the greatest potential in their employees. When a manager visibly values his employees, employees will also show greater commitment.
And finally, empathetic leaders tend to communicate better. They have a better sense of how information is received by their employees and adapt their statements accordingly.
How to Promote Empathy in Leadership Development
Empathy is a quality that is becoming increasingly rare. Sociological studies have shown that empathy skills among college students have declined significantly in recent decades , and this is also spilling over into the workplace.
However, there are ways to counteract this trend and encourage empathy, along with other leadership skills. First, senior positions should be filled internally as often as possible by promoting employees. If a manager has actually done the work of their subordinates themselves, they can usually empathize with their needs and frustrations much better than someone who comes in from outside.
In addition, it's important to emphasize the importance of putting your technology devices aside for once. Experts agree that smartphones and computers create a barrier to real face-to-face conversations . A company-wide policy such as "no cell phones in meetings, except in urgent cases" can ensure that managers really listen to their employees.
And finally, there are targeted seminars in which you can train your empathy skills .
3. Networking
This is what the research results say
In a global survey of over 7,000 employees and managers, Gartner found that "connector managers" — leaders who connect employees with relevant experts from their network for training and professional development — increase employee performance by up to 26% (study in English). In addition, employees who have a connector manager as their supervisor are three times more likely to be high-performing employees.
A good manager not only assigns tasks and delegates, but also coaches his employees and encourages their professional development. For 60% of employees, the feeling of receiving support from their managers is linked to the opportunities to "develop the technical knowledge, business skills and leadership skills they need to advance in their careers."
But not all managers approach this responsibility in the same way. Gartner's survey indonesia telegram data identified four training types in employee training: the teacher, the restless, the connector and the cheerleader.
A list and description of the four classic leadership qualities in employee training
The results of Gartner's study show that connector managers achieve the best results by connecting their employees with experts from their network when employees' training needs lie outside their area of expertise. This way, they enable their employees to receive the perfect mix of support and expertise they need for their professional development.
The ability to leverage business contacts is not only important for managers. Networking is a "social currency" that can be invaluable for career advancement if you know the rules of the game .
How to Promote Networking in Leadership Development
According to Gartner, the path to becoming a Connector Manager begins with recognizing the individual needs and motivations of your employees. Instead of a run-of-the-mill training that is the same for all employees, Connector Managers provide tailored coaching and specific support.
Connector managers also need to be able to identify the strengths of their employees. There may be someone on the staff who would be a great coach or trainer for another employee. But that doesn't become clear to a manager until they start building an internal directory of experts. Using employee assessment software, managers can create profiles of their employees' special talents to make them easier to remember.