Many managers don’t know how to effectively motivate employees, so training programs need to be designed and implemented to make sure employees have the opportunity to reach their full potential. It’s true that people don’t just work for the money. They want to contribute and be challenged. They want to be rewarded, but gaining the respect of management and co-workers is important too. Help the employees understand that their contribution is important too. It will motivate them and avoid negative attitudes and poor morale. Reward them when they do well and guide them when they don’t. Try to remain positive no matter what and offer suggestions for improvement in a cooperative and meaningful way. Remember to set goals that are challenging but attainable and assign an appropriate time-line to achieve the goals. Let your employees know that asking questions is not a sign of weakness and encourage them to seek help if they need it.
Leadership requires many different attributes than management and although it is good to have some organizational skills, people skills become much more important. A leader inspires others to want to do well and eagerly work towards objectives and goals. They must have a vision for the ultimate objectives of the company and then be able to share this vision with enthusiasm so the employees will be motivated to do their best. A good leader helps others by providing whatever information or methods are necessary in order to reach their goals. They must be the coordinator between the employees, company members and stakeholders to balance any conflicting interests. A leader is a creative thinker and can act fast in difficult situations.
A major difference between a manager and a leader is that you can’t really be taught to be a leader. I’m sure everyone has heard the expression, “They are a born leader”. There is truth in that statement because much of what is necessary to be a good leader is instinctual. You can’t learn it from a book. It is just who they are. Not to say that a manager doesn’t have instincts, but the fundamentals of management can be studied and mastered if they work hard enough. There is a certain amount of creativity that comes with being a leader. They are usually very bright and even sometimes eccentric, but they are the type of person you want to listen to and do a good job for. A leader models the kind of personality and behavior they expect from those they are working with.