There’s just something about being a likable boss that makes your employees want to please you. Imagine not having to pry work out of your staff or playing the role of the bad guy just to assure a job gets done. It sounds like it’s too good to be true but…it’s not. Any professional career coach will tell you – being a more likable boss will help you accomplish more than you can imagine and you’re about to find out how to do it.
Being likable is something that has to be genuine. It can’t be faked. Take a good look at yourself and the way you conduct business. How do you treat those who answer to you? Would you want to work for you?
There are certain traits people tend to find likable. First and foremost, to be liked, you must like yourself. As a boss, it’s not unusual to attempt to cover up your own shortcomings by being overly demanding, aggressive or intimidating. Bosses who are comfortable in their own skin tend to attract people rather than repel them.
Another characteristic employees (and people in general) like is feeling their boss has their best interest at heart. An employee who truly feels appreciated is likely to do more than is expected of him or her. But how can you make that happen? By having a servant’s heart. That’s how.
By seeing yourself as serving the needs of your employees, you will also be serving the needs of your company or organization, becoming an effective and likable boss. It’s important to realize that being a servant doesn’t mean considering yourself to be beneath someone. You are still the leader, but a leader with a servant’s heart.
A servant puts the needs of others before himself. He is able to see a situation from the eyes of those he is in charge of. He makes decisions that are in the best interest of his whole team. As a leader with a servant’s heart, you don’t lord over your staff with harsh words and overbearing rules. You do all you can to help them improve by giving them clear instructions, offering support even when it’s not convenient and you praise their accomplishments, good traits, and improvements.
As a servant leader, you will involve your team in decisions and listen to their thoughts and opinions from your heart. People like to be heard and like others who listen to them with genuine interest and compassion. As a servant leader you will promote trust, higher engagement and stronger relationships as your team excels.
The fact of the matter is that people like people who make them feel good about themselves. They don’t really care how distinguished you are, where you went to college or what all you know. What your employees really care about is how you make them feel. Bottom line.
Be the boss that gets the job done because your employees want to do the job for you. They want to do the best job they can for you because they know it won’t go unnoticed. They are confident you will recognize their efforts and people appreciate that!
As you focus on being a servant leader, you will naturally become a more likable boss. Then you can begin to implement even more positive leadership skills into your upwardly mobile career path.