The role of a leader is not easy. He must lead with firmness and authority, but also give advice and work alongside collaborators with empathy. The strength of a good leader lies in being able to perfectly balance these elements, which are so different, in order to create a climate in which each member of the team, himself included, is always inclined to do his best and grow.

Throughout this process, the opinion of the team is to be taken into consideration. One of the most sought after characteristics in leaders is the capacity to recognise and enhance people’s capacities: 79% of those who leave their job admit that one of the main reasons they decided to leave was the lack of appreciation of coordinators. According to Ron Carucci, a management consultant with over 25 years of experience in this field, there are a few small tips to supplement the particular capacities of each person would be sufficient to make the role of a leader even more efficient.

  • Give compliments, especially when there is good reason: It is right to give compliments to your colleagues because they strengthen the trusting relationship and esteem your colleagues have for you. The best way to do that is to show interest in the work they have done and admit that it was a hard job, in order to emphasise the importance of the result obtained. Implicitly praise those who carried it out.
  • Pay attention to the “safety distance”: it is necessary to keep a certain amount of distance from your collaborators, dealing with your team to maintain your authority, but show empathy and interest in them.
  • Spontaneity above all: giving too many compliments and praise is never a good strategy, so keep your manners simple and spontaneous, so as not to appear stiff or insincere.

Another characteristic that is much sought after in leaders is the capacity to guide every team member in his personal career path, as well as in his path as a team member. As demonstrated by data collected by Cebglobal, 70% of workers interviewed say they are dissatisfied with the career opportunities offered by their employer and cannot outline their long-term objectives.

To solve this standstill, the leader has the ability to propose himself in four different forms:

As a compass:

showing the way to go is important, but even more important is to lend a hand so that each person finds the right path on their own, making them independent in their career path and in their growth.

Mentor:

make everyone understand that the old ideal of a career as the way to reach a title is outdated. The real goal is to work on oneself and understand which experiences one wants to have, which changes one wants to make to one’s lifestyle and which responsibilities one wants to assume.

Motivator:

learning a new capacity is a step forward and should be labelled as such. Setting intermediate goals is therefore a very good strategy for motivating workers even further and emphasising your interest in following them as they grow, one step at a time, strengthening their trust and esteem for you.

Push:

make sure that every team member has the chance to find space, explore and assimilate different skills that can be used later on in different fields and evolved according to needs.

Evolution of a company can take place only when all those who are a part of it evolve. Each person evolves only when the company itself evolves. It is an exchange, a cycle, in which everyone collaborates to ensure that various team members, the leader and the company itself grow.

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