Be the Best Boss for Your Team
By Heidi Sadecky, MA,PCC – Executive Coach & Director, Townsend Leadership Program
So many people have stories from past bosses they’ve worked under. There are plenty of awful stories about bosses who weren’t ready to be in leadership, but I’ve always been far more interested in people’s stories about the best bosses they’ve ever had.
What makes a great boss? The most common answers seem always to be:
A boss who listens!
A leader who trusts and respects team members!
Someone who gives intelligent feedback!
A boss who has my back!
We know what qualities make a great boss and leader, but sometimes seeing how a person gets from good to great can be quite challenging! Leadership growth is never necessarily easy. I want to share some tips I’ve developed that could help you lead your team:
Place your trust in your team. Delegating real responsibility can be for leaders (especially when your business is on the line!), but if you expect your team to trust you, then you need to trust them as well.
Keep your goals in your sights and in your team’s sights. Make your mission the focus of all your work, so that everyone understands the direction your team is headed!
Find opportunities to prompt more discussion. Has everyone had a chance to contribute to your team discussions? Providing a space to reflect on what was said in discussions can go a long way to building respect and trust.
When your team naturally finds agreement, let them be the leaders. If your team all arrives at the same conclusion, then follow their lead! However, as the leader, you’ll still need to be the final voice in decision-making whenever there is disagreement or discord.
Set clear expectations — both for individuals and the team as a whole. When each individual knows what their role is, they have a better picture of how their work helps fulfill the whole team’s goal.
Being the best boss you can be is all about how you lead. You can improve your leadership by coaching and equipping your team rather than merely supervising them. Leadership can be a difficult art, so don’t be ashamed if you feel like leadership doesn’t naturally come to you! When you find yourself in a position of authority, but you aren’t sure how to lead, you should reach out for help.
I receive a lot of questions from people wondering if leadership coaching is right for them. The short answer is very simple: if you would like to grow in your ability and potential as a leader, then executive and leadership coaching is right for you! My experiences as a leadership coach in Pittsburgh have allowed me to coach leaders from a wide swathe of industries and career paths. No matter your situation, let’s book a discovery call together soon, and we can discuss how leadership coaching could help make you the greatest boss, leader, or executive that you can be.
Heidi Sadecky is a highly-trained executive coach with over 30 years of combined corporate and coaching experience. She helps her clients operate at a higher level, overcome workplace challenges and achieve measurable results.
She is an in-demand facilitator of the only Townsend Leadership Program, a unique and highly effective group coaching program located in the North East United States.
In-person, virtual and hybrid leadership groups are now forming.