Let’s be real: bad managers don’t just frustrate employees; they drive your best talent out the door. The difference between a manager that people tolerate and a leader people love comes down to skills HR must develop right now.
This week, we’ve searched high and low for exactly how HR professionals can guide their managers into true leaders, and combat disengagement and poor collaboration. And we found plenty of answers, skills, and actionable insights from top HR experts in the field.
Our most recent webinar, with panelists Ricky Brown, CEO of Speak Life Inc., LeAnne Lagasse, SHRM-SCP Certified HR Consultant, Speaker, and Author, and finally Megan Leasher, Organizational Psychologist and Founder of Disruptive Journeys, tackled the hardest hitting questions for HR leaders, and left us with a wealth of information on what it takes to turn any manager great.
Want to learn just how you can have the best managers in the game? Learn what qualities to look out for, what skills to train up, and what actions you and HR professionals alike can take to help your managers in our Leadership Week recap below!
The 5 Cs of Leadership
During the webinar, the many ideas and suggestions our panelists gave boiled down to five key principles that make up what a good leader should practice. Now, no one individual has to be a master of all these in order to be a manager, but they have to be aware of them and engaged in improving in order to maintain employees respect and provide great leadership.
Competency
A manager doesn’t have the answer to every single question, but they do need to be competent enough to try and find it. A good leader doesn’t stop at their own limits. If they are unsure how to help an employee, or how to train a specific skill, a manager needs to be able to seek out that information, and learn how they can better provide in the future.
Want to encourage this trait? Allow managers to go on these learning expeditions and make resources to help readily available. A leader needs the competency to start their journey, but HR professionals can assist in provided the tools and equipment to aid them on their way.
Calling
There’s a lot to being a manager that often goes unsaid. You have to be a jack of all trades when it comes to the responsibilities of your team, but you also have to be a master of the soft skills it takes to lead a team. Being a manager doesn’t just have to do with guiding your team through their responsibilities. Sometimes, you’ll have to comfort a crying coworker, or know when someone needs a break.
Managing people comes down to people skills, and to find a great manager, HR needs to look at individuals who showcase a calling for taking care of those around them.
Conviction
Being a manager is hard. There’s no easier way to say it. You have to put a lot of yourself aside in order to confidently and appropriate lead your teams. That’s why a good leader needs to have the conviction to move past pitfalls and failings without slowing down, and show up for their team the same every day.
Seek out conviction in your employees and hiring candidates, see who has shown they can endure those tough days and still provide competent leadership, and you’ll find an incredible future manager.
Chemistry
In order to lead people, a healthy rapport needs to exist between employees and managers. Now, some may believe chemistry and the ability to bond with people are innate talents, but with proper support from HR and their company, anyone can build relationships.
Ensuring that leaders have proper space to express themselves and their passions honestly, allows for organic bonds to form with their team and respect to blossom.
Character
At the end of the day, a good manager is a good person. If you want a leader who not only accomplishes their goals, but does so with a supportive and excited team, you need to find candidates with strong character and morals.
If HR professionals can seek out those strong characters, with support available, they’ll find fantastic leaders making the most of their teams.
Leadership stems from many different skills and talents, and while HR won’t find someone who can do it all perfectly, focusing on these items will point HR professionals in the direction of true leaders.