Ways Great Leaders Show They Care

As a business owner or entrepreneur, you are the leader of your company which means your team looks up to you. You are the one guiding them – not just being the boss and telling them what to do. Anda good leader is the one that shows their employees that he or she cares about their performance, their achievements, and their problems. Here are some ways great leaders show they care.

Why Is It Important to Value Employees?

For some leaders, especially those more concerned with facts than feelings, it is not always easy to understand why it is so important to value employees and show that they do. Ways Great Leaders Show They Care stresses the fact that many people leave their jobs because they don’t feel wanted and appreciated, but there’s even more to the matter.

For instance, showing that you care about your employees both as a team and as individuals can improve their confidence and motivate them to be more productive. It can also help leaders better connect with their employees which can lead to more cooperation and efficiency. In other words, showing you care is not a weakness – it’s a way to improve your team in so many different ways.

#1 Get to A Personal Level

When you set out to become a more mindful leader who shows that they value their team, the first thing you need to do is get to a personal level. This doesn’t mean that you need to discuss the private lives of your employees with them (or your own, for that matter), but it does mean you need to stop being professional at every single interaction you have.

For example, if you are having a face-to-face talk with one of your employees and want to discuss their recent achievements, it’s worth showing that you are genuinely happy about it. It’s not just the numbers that interest you, but also the effort they put in and how much they had to work to achieve the things they achieved.

#2 Praise Achievements

Speaking of achievements, great leaders appreciate and praise them as much as possible. Of course, it is expected of regular employees to do their best and meet at least some minimal requirements, but when they overachieve, it’s your responsibility as a leader to show that this overachievement is valued and appreciated.

If you don’t praise their achievements, they will see that you don’t care and will stop trying to do more than they need to do as a part of their job. In other words, they can lose their passion altogether just because they see that there is nobody else who cares about what they are doing despite all the time and energy they put in.

#3 Value Work-Life Balance

For most business owners and entrepreneurs, it is essential that employees value their jobs and know the consequences of not doing the work right. But a great leader should also understand that many people struggle to maintain a work-life balance.

A successful leader should value the work-life balance their employees are going for. You don’t need to discuss private details of their lives, but you need to find a way to help them balance their jobs and their lives outside their jobs. Besides, you are probably trying to do so for yourself as well so it’s only logical that your team should be able to have the balance too.

#4 Listen Actively and Attentively

Indeed, most leaders are expected to be the ones talking. After all, they should lead their teams to success by explaining what they need to do and what is expected of them. However, a great leader is also the one who listens actively and attentively to what their employees have to say.

This doesn’t only mean listening to their creative ideas – it also means listening to their complaints. Is there something an employee is concerned about? Listen to them and try to find a solution together. Remember that you need to be empathetic and show that you understand their feelings and want to help.

#5 Provide Career Opportunities

Speaking of listening to creative ideas, a great leader is also the one providing valuable career opportunities to their employees. Everyone wants to grow and develop professionally, so most employees will jump at the opportunity of leading a new project, getting a promotion, or being sent on an important business trip.

Of course, there will be some people who are fine with their current positions and will be glad to continue doing what they do. You can either let them enjoy their work or you can incentivize them to aim higher and become an even better employee.

#6 Give Feedback Regularly

Last but not least, make sure to give feedback regularly to your team and to your employees separately. Much like providing employees with opportunities, it will help your team members correct their past mistakes and grow as a professional.

In addition to that, most people like receiving feedback. You just need to make sure to not be too harsh when delivering it – but also don’t sugarcoat. Find the right balance and provide honest feedback to everyone in your team.

Final Thoughts

All in all, showing appreciation of what your employees are doing on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis is a must if you want to be a good leader. By encouraging creativity and giving your team more opportunities, you will be growing an inviting company culture, but you should also use the tips in this article to show you care on a more personal level.

By Nancy Howard

Nancy P. Howard has been working as a writing expert at Online Writers Rating for a year. She is also webmaster at review service Best Writers Online. She loves travelling, photography and always welcome to meet new people.