Great managers choose to lead their team to success.  They are natural leaders and understand the difference between being a leader and a boss.  Similar to professional sports, leaders choose the best team to accomplish their goals.  There are a number of qualities which make up a great team.  We are going to take a look at 3 of them now:

Trust

Ah, the circle of trust.  Everyone wants to be in it.  The downside is once you lose someone’s trust, getting it back seems all but impossible.  When you are seeking loyal employees, trustworthiness is by far the most important quality.  The applies to you as a manager also.  Your team members want you to trust them to do their jobs without micromanaging them.  They also want to trust that you will commit to their success and be honest about your expectations.  As a manager, always have the best interest of the team and they will be accountable for their own actions.

Driven to Succeed

Top leaders have an endless amount of drive.  They are passionate people and want to surround themselves with the same.  When putting a team together, great leaders seek those who are excited about their careers and are driven to reach their professional goals.  A great manager does not say, “Eat my dust!”  Instead, a great manager says, “You can do it!”

Work Flow

Successful teams are focused and develop routines.  A routine is structure, and that’s a good thing!  Think of the first few times you got behind the wheel of a car.  You probably had a checklist of things you did to make sure you were ready to drive: seat belt: check; adjust mirrors: check; steering wheel height correct: check; and the list goes on. The more experienced you became as a driver, the more developed your routine became.  It is the same way in the work place.  Once your team has the routine down, they can focus on the goal.  Just be patient as they learn.

Great managers are leaders that build a team of passionate people they can trust, people that have the drive to succeed, and people who understand the value of a routine.

Your team’s success, as well as your own, depends upon your leadership.  It will not take long to succeed as a team with great leadership; and it won’t take long to fail with poor leadership.  It all starts with communication and what you say to your team.  Here are 3 inspiring things that you can tell your team:

I Believe in You

Remember when you were a kid and you doubted your ability to do something?  Chances are your mom or dad, or another loving adult, would not let you give up. They knew you could do it.  As adults, we don’t often here that phrase, do we?  Imagine how much more could be accomplished if we said that more often.  The phrase, “I believe in you”, can inspire even the most confident team member.  Be careful to not just say it but show it.  Give them freedom to get their job done, and even to make mistakes.  Be there to pick them up but believe in the person you chose to get the job done.

I Want to Know Your Opinion

We have all heard the expression: opinions are like heartbeats, every living person has one (and, yes, I used the PG version of that expression!).  Not every opinion will bring value or progress, but by hearing out even the not-so-good ones, you build confidence in team members.  It also gives you an opportunity to discover where weaknesses might be and implement solutions to help those team members.  You do not have to agree with every opinion, but inside one of those coal mines might be a diamond.  So, listen to your team!

Tell Me How I Can Help You

Such a simple statement, but rarely spoken.  After you say it, listen to what your team members say.  Then jump in and help.  A point should be made that this does not mean you do their job for them.  That’s their job!  It does mean that if they have questions, want to run an idea past you, or need a half an hour brainstorming session, you are willing to accommodate.  Be willing to show a team member how do perform a specific task, rather than doing it for them.  Remember, give a man a fish and he eats for one night; teach him how to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.  Make your mantra to teach your team to fish and your basket of success will always be full.

It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, but you can’t forget your number one role as a manager: be a leader.  Let your team know you believe in them, listen to their opinion, and seek the areas they need assistance.  Earn their trust and loyalty and lead your team to success.

Every manager thinks they are the best boss ever; this simply is not true.  We have all had a bad boss or two in our career.  So, what makes a boss bad?  Well, there are a lot of things that can make a boss fall short.  Here are 3 qualities that bad managers share:

Poor Communication

If excellent communication is the foundation of a great manager, it can be deduced that lack of it is the foundation of an incompetent one.  Give your team clear objectives and answer all of their questions before setting them free.  Listening to their concerns and addressing their needs will ensure the successful completion of a project.

Micro Management

Don’t you just love the feel of hot breath on your neck as someone is reading the email you are writing. No! You do not – no one does!  So figuratively speaking, do not do it.  Watching over and criticizing a team member’s every move is just as bad, if not worse.  Assuming your team has the tools and training necessary, trust them and step aside. Check in now and then but let them work on their own.  Do this and you will see happy employees.

Favoritism

It is of the utmost importance to treat every team member equally.  Playing favorites leads to disgruntled team members and poor production, not to mention the dreaded HR issues.  Treat everyone on your team the same, no exceptions.

Be a leader and you will avoid the trap of being an incompetent manager.  Lay out clear objectives, provide your team the tools and training needed, give them some autonomy and, for Heaven sake, do not play favorites. These qualities are the difference between being a manager and a leader.