Leadership in business: How can a manager become a leader

A manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. He/she is focused on getting things done and is evaluated on the results he/she is able to produce on measurable lines. Managers steer the organization’s course through their various decisions.

A leader’s job is to motivate his team members. A manager will be successful only if has leadership traits in him. A manager “does the thing right”, but a leader “does the right thing”. The unquantifiable element in a manager’s role is that of leadership.

Here are a few insights on how a manager can become a good leader in the modern business environment.

While it is good to be an expert in one field, ignoring what is happening around you can be dangerous. For a business to succeed, functional heads have to work together and keep their focus on the customer. The focus should always be on what needs to be done to enhance customer experience.

Good leaders create and share visions. A good manager should create a vision, share the same with the team members and help them clearly understand the same. He/she should motivate them to achieve organizational goals by highlighting the advantages each one would enjoy by doing so.

Interests of the business and the team members are more important for a good leader than his/her own interests. He/she should be approachable. An intimidating manager will not succeed in the long run.

Good leaders set high standards. It starts with how he/she executes his responsibilities. A team member looks up to his/her manager for many things, like time management for instance. The manager’s attitude and behavior is more likely to be emulated by his/her team members.

Good leaders are excellent mentors. It is the job of the manager to ensure that the team members achieve their targets. But that is not enough. He/she should spend time with each and every team member and help the person to realize his/her potential. By doing so, he will earn the respect of his team members.

It becomes necessary to make hard choices sometimes, like letting go of someone or closing down of a branch office. The manager should communicate to the team members that it was done in the best interest of everyone concerned and motivate them to move ahead.

Good leaders are visible and always lead from front, especially during the times of crisis. He/she should keep the team members updated regarding the situation. Transparency is the key to success here.

A good manager should be able to instill hope during hard times. He/she should exude positivity under all circumstances. It is one of the essential qualities of a great leader. By doing to he is more likely to succeed.

Fortunately leadership qualities can be learnt. Experience teaches many lessons for managers, it they are willing to learn. Managers who acquire the above-mentioned skills evolve into effective leaders and will be valuable assets for the organization.