Leaders can lift you up or drag you down, praise a group effort or promote themselves. And at work, leaders are often the difference between a great job and a terrible one. Here are six tips to become a great leader, whether you’re a manager or an employee:
Practice “radical transparency”
The higher up you go in the workplace, the more secrecy there is
- Break the cycle of secrecy by including employees in decisions that directly affect them
- Let them in on the “inner circle” of decisions by asking for feedback on proposals or sharing important news before it becomes public
Give your boss a preview of your potential
Ask yourself: How are you innovating in your current role?
- Does your work have an impact beyond your team? How do you add value to your workplace?
- If you have evidence-based answers to at least one of these questions, Cummings says you’re positioning yourself well for your next role.
Study how your team works
Being a manager isn’t just about checking off tasks and evaluating your employees’ performance
- Leaders should also make it their job to understand their teams as a whole
- Studying the “full 360” of your team helps you develop your group as an “ecosystem”
If you’re not a manager, harness your power by “managing up”
Put yourself in the position to do the kind of work you love
- Schedule time with your supervisor to highlight how you have performed and what you are working toward
- Don’t be afraid to correct the narrative if you think they have an incomplete idea of who you are
