Have you ever worked somewhere that had you dreading every time your alarm clock went off? Or how about seeing a supervisor or manager and could swear up and down they had the power to suck the joy out of any given room? Chances are high that these individuals lacked leadership skills, and the results can be devastating to those who must work alongside these people. Here are things to look for in a good leader.
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A difficult thing for anyone to remember is that we all have grown up in various cultures and environments. No individual will know everything that we have knowledge of because not everyone has experienced the exact same things that we have.
My first job was at a skating rink as a Floor Guard, so I watched over the skaters. One day, I was asked to assist with the morning beginner skating lessons for our young students. It sounded easy enough. I had observed earlier lessons and it seemed straight-forward. My group started off on the carpet to learn how to balance and move forward on the skates. I thought, “Wow, all of you are fast learners! Let’s go ahead and put you on the actual skate floor!”
The kids took off confidently! Then, one by one, their faces went from ecstatic to slightly concerned to full-on panic! It didn’t take long for me to realize that I forgot to teach one more important lesson before releasing them onto a slick surface at their beginner top speeds. Based on their precious terrified faces and their now wild turkey-like motions, it was clearly obvious that those poor kids had not been taught how to STOP!
Luckily, no kid was hurt from their desperate crash landings, but it was an important lesson for me to learn that just because it seems like common sense to me doesn’t mean that someone completely new will know this information!
It may seem tedious at first, but please don’t assume that those you are leading will know everything, even if it seems obvious to you. Either ask if they are aware of a certain topic, or just explain it anyway and say it’s a refresher. Don’t allow your team to crash due to neglect of proper training!
If someone told us to respond to customers’ inquiries promptly, what does that mean? Within an hour? How about within that shift? Within 24 hours? We’re not mind-readers, and even if we were, some instructions would still seem vague if the person providing the instruction didn’t even know what they wanted!
Don’t be the bearer of ONLY bad news. People will dread when they see you coming if this is the case. Imagine it like hearing your parents call you by your full name. When has that EVER been for a good reason? Seriously! If I heard my mom shout, “Kyndall Rachell Bennett, get down here and explain these amazing grades!” I would be trying to keep my heart from having a panic attack!
There is a recommendation to praise in public and reprimand in private. This just means that we shouldn’t go out of our way to embarrass someone over a mistake. Things happen. If they do good though, let them know that you appreciate what they have done! If you know that someone doesn’t like attention drawn to them, then sure praise them in private, but never foster a negative environment. All that will do is discourage the team from making improvements.
It’s a lot easier to give critique than to receive it, but we all have something we can improve on. It’s important to listen to the people we are in charge over because there may be something that we do that isn’t clear to those that we are responsible for. Listen carefully for “um”s or extended silent periods during conversations because this could indicate a bit of confusion in the instruction.
Nobody likes to feel like they’re behind on anything, but it’s also frustrating when we feel like we have no one to ask to help us catch up. Heck, I’ve been in situations in the military where I needed help when studying helicopter mechanics, and I would have guys who were senior to me ask, “How do you not know this?” It’s discouraging! Luckily, I had some great leaders who heard about this issue and pulled me aside to explain what I wasn’t understanding. It normally took less than an hour to train me most days, but that training stuck with me throughout the duration of my enlistment! Being approachable is a very important characteristic to look for in a good leader.
Voice when you’ve made a mistake. Show that you’re willing to be modest and honest about an unfavorable situation. No one is perfect. Although there may be a fear of appearing incompetent, more people actually respect when their leader is willing to accept responsibility if they are at fault. And remember to be accountable for your teammates as well. As leaders, we are responsible for ensuring that our team has the resources that they need, so if a team member makes a mistake due to lack of information, it’s not “You made a mistake! Go fix it!” but “We made a mistake, so let’s figure out how to fix it!”
No one is a born leader. We learn by following good leaders and by observing their positive impacts on others. We can also learn from bad leaders on what NOT to do from the personal experience of dealing with them. If you are currently using LinkedIn Learning, I have some recommended courses below if you are interested in learning more about leadership. If you do not have an account but would like to watch the videos, no worries! You can try a free month trial here!
Have you ever had to deal with a bad leader, whether they were a manager, supervisor, teacher, family member, etc.? What did you learn from them about how NOT to lead? Who in your life is a good leader? In what ways have they been a positive influence in your life? Please share your story in the comments! If you found this blog helpful, share it with friends. If you would like to read more stories and receive other learning opportunities, please subscribe to our newsletter!
And as always, please remember to live your life one story at a time!
Take care,
Kyndall Bennett from Kyrabe Stories
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What a wonderful article! Yes, having a bad leader is toxic and demoralize the dynamic of the team. I experienced one before so I had to find another job as I knew nothing would be done. A few others in the team went on a sick leave. Sad really...
Thank you! Sorry I missed your comment too. What's really bad is that many good companies are driven down because they don't realize that the leaders they appointed are driving good employees away!
Sound advice. Being positive is something I strive for. Also, listening is important to me.
Thank you, Laura. I think that learning to stop and listen might sometimes be the hardest lesson for new leaders to learn. ❤
This was a fantastic post Kyndal!l! Leadership is such an important quality. Unfortunately not everybody knows how to effectively lead. Luckily - the skill can be taught!
Thank you! OMG, I'm so glad that leadership skills can be taught! For many, I think it's just a matter of shoving their pride to take the time to learn it...
Leadership & managerial skills are definitely some you hone and develop over time. I have had my fair share of difficult "leaders" whom I would silently refer to as a "young soul" :) They did, however, hone my patience levels!!
Lol, even bad leaders can teach us at least what NOT to do! ? Congrats on increased patience. It'll come in handy over time!
Aww, you guys are adorable! I was a high school math teacher and used many of these same ideas in the classroom with students. They definitely respond better to positivity, encouragement and constructive criticism. We hired a lady as part of admin for a couple years that would criticize our teaching skills and rarely make positive comments, all in the hopes of improving MCA scores. We called her Scary Mary. Many of us barely hung in there because of the stress caused by her presence alone. Fortunately, she was asked to leave, and the whole mood was better. Now she teaches teachers at the university level. Not a great idea!
OMG, "Scary Mary!" ?
I'm glad you all were sparred working with her, but I feel bad for the college students now...Maybe she has had some leadership training by now (hopeful thinking).
Lol I just found out this weekend she was let go from that job too.
This is great. I holds for parenting, too!!!!!
So true, Karla! Our parents are our first leaders and many times the most influential ones too!
Great post, with some valuable information! I remember my first time roller skating and trying to figure out how to stop! Being a great leader is a wonderful quality to have, you never know who is looking up to you.
So true, Brittany. We could be "leaders" without realizing it based on the situation, but becoming a great one requires a lot of people skills and patience. I hope your learning process to stop was a lot better than those poor kids... ?
This is a great article. I totally agree with the listening part... sometimes as a leader it's easy to want to talk talk talk, but so much can be learned by listening.
OMG so true, Lisa! I still have people in my life that will talk 98% of the time and it is soooooo draining.
This is really helpful. I’m a teacher, and a lot of this applies to me. Thanks for some things to think about.
Thank you for coming by the blog, Stacey! As a teacher, you're definitely one of the most influential leaders out there! The fact that you acknowledge areas to work on shows that you sincerely care about being a GOOD leader, so thank you!
Your story about the skate rink is so easy to imagine! You're right, a good leader is important to our success often times.
Thank you. I do believe that being a good leader takes practice, so I admire those who are willing to openly state that they are still learning. ❤