6 Leadership Skills Every Manager Needs

Whether you run a small IT team or a giant company, if you are a manager, it is essential to make sure that you have the right skills. This may seem obvious, but sadly many managers lack the skills required to do their jobs – and this can cause profits to drop and employees to quit. In fact, a recent study found that one of the main reasons why employees leave is because of bad managers. So, if you want to make sure your business succeeds, you should ensure that you have good management skills. These skills will allow you to climb up the ladder and advance your career – and it will also help you to gain the respect of your employees.

Thankfully, we are here to help; here are six leadership skills that every manager needs.

1.   Accountability

If you are a leader, you are accountable for both the failures and the successes of your team. This can feel slightly overwhelming, but if you are the manager, it is your responsibility to accept blame if something doesn’t go well. It can be tempting to blame individual employees for certain things, such as a disagreement or a project going wrong, but in reality, it is your job to make sure that employees are doing their best and working well together. If they aren’t, it is a reflection of both the employee and you, so you must get to the heart of the issue so that you can solve the problem.

2.   Communication

It is also important for managers to have communication skills – and we don’t just mean talking! It is also essential for a manager to be able to listen to their employees, as this makes it easier for them to resolve any employee issues. It also makes it easier for the manager to assess employee performance, so you can work out who is thriving (and who is failing). Good communication skills will also make it easier for your employees to understand company goals, which will help to advance the whole company.

3.   Delegating

Delegation is an essential management skill, but many managers don’t realize this. They think that they should do as many tasks as possible as they are the most qualified, but this makes them feel overworked and stressed – and it can also have a negative effect on employees. This is because many employees don’t feel like they do important work; in fact, a recent study found that half of US workers feel like they have a career, while the other 50% just feel like they have a job. This can make them feel useless and demotivated, but if you actually delegate work to them, they will start to feel valued and important, which benefits both you and them (as they are more likely to stay with the company for years to come).

4.   Positivity

A positive attitude can make a world of difference at work. Employees look up to their manager to set the mood for the day, so if you arrive early with a big smile on your face they will feel happier and more motivated – but if you turn up late, leave early and avoid spending time with your employees, it is likely that they will become disengaged and demotivated. If you want to be a more positive force in the workplace, but you’re not sure where to start, you could benefit from undertaking an organizational leadership degree. These degrees only take a few weeks to complete, and they can be done online while you continue working.

5.   Imagination

A good manager is able to use their imagination and think outside of the box. This allows them to come up with innovative new solutions that solve problems (that may otherwise have been unsolvable). This attitude benefits both the business and the employees, and it requires a few different ways of thinking; critical thinking, analytical thinking and creative thinking.

6.   Providing Feedback

Finally, a great manager will provide their team with feedback on a regular basis. This is because giving feedback gives employers the chance to deliver relevant, useful information to their team about the way they work. For instance, feedback can help employees to work on their weaknesses, and it will also make hard-working employees feel appreciated. Giving feedback will also help to create bonds with individual members of your team, which will give you more confidence when it comes to delegating tasks. For instance, you may discover a talented co-worker who desperately wants to take on more work so they can learn more skills and advance their career.