Can you name the most important qualities in a leader?
A recent global leadership study has revealed the very qualities employees expect from leaders are sadly lacking in their own supervisors.
Even more concerning, the study also reveals the close correlation between leadership skills and job satisfaction – that how an employee’s supervisor leads, has a huge impact on how staff enjoy their job or choose to leave for greener pastures.
The US company* polled 3,100 workers in 13 countries from junior employees, right through to CEOs. Results showed similarities across all countries surveyed.
The leadership behaviours where leaders clearly miss the mark included:
- Truly listening to employees
- Sincere appreciation
- Valuing an employee’s contribution.
The top five attributes of supervisors that motivate and inspire them (according to US survey respondents) included:
- Encouraging improvement
- Giving praise and appreciation
- Recognising performance improvement
- Admitting shortfalls before criticising and
- Allowing employees to save face in difficult situations.
Interestingly, the study showed 84 per cent of employees want leaders with the humility to admit when they are wrong but only 51 per cent of supervisors do this regularly.
Not surprisingly, these leadership qualities also have an effect on employee retention and satisfaction – not to mention a huge effect on morale and a company’s bottom line.
Quite simply – too many of our managers are leading by default. Just like you wouldn’t send someone out to fly a plane without training – you shouldn’t send a new supervisor out to manage people without providing opportunities for learning essential skills and techniques.
These figures speak volumes and should be interpreted as a huge opportunity for learning and turning the tide on exiting employees and mediocre results.
At eCampus NZ we know it’s a complete myth that people are either natural born leaders or not. You can learn the skills to be a great leader and bring out the best in your team – we’ve seen the penny drop and remarkable transformations take place.
If you interested in discovering your own leadership style – finding out what you are doing well and where you can improve, we strongly recommend enrolling in a Leadership course – as part of the New Zealand Diploma in Business and Management – offered purely online through eCampus NZ.
To find out more about registering for the New Zealand Diploma in Business Leadership and Management or this course on Leadership visit: www.ecampusnz.com/how-to-register/
*Dale Carnegie Study findings published 17 Nov 2016.