What makes a good leader?
Uncategorized 2 CommentsWhat makes a good leader? This is something I have been contemplating recently. Is a leader considered good/successful based off of the productivity of their team, or the retention of their team? Does a better retention rate mean that they are a better manager than another?
These are just a few questions that I have rattling around in my head this week. How do we define a good leader? In my personal experience, I have stayed with a particular team because I had an incredible manager and then left a different company because I couldn’t handle the anxiety and the oversight of one particular manager. I feel as though our jobs are almost defined by who our manager is and how they make us feel about ourselves.
I feel as though productivity and retention go hand in hand when employees are happy. So what makes an employee happy? How do you make a team feel confident in themselves and their efforts?
Grainne Murray
I agree that productivity and retention are dependent on happy employees and also that a healthy culture impacts employee happiness/satisfaction. An organization’s culture is dependent upon many factors but ultimately this must be driven by its leader. Michael Fullan writes well on this topic and cites four distinct factors affecting culture in this eceprt from “Leading in a culture of Change”; https://www.csus.edu/indiv/j/jelinekd/edte%20227/fullanleadinginacultureofchange.pdf.
In his book, Drive, Daniel Pink writes about how mastery, purpose and autonomy are each equally important in creating the intrinsic motivation necessary to drive internal satisfaction. I also believe there are generational factors at play in today’s work force and that leaders need an understanding of what drives different generations.
Andrew Schoeneman
Great thoughts about leadership and retention — nice HRM perspective! I”m curious how you distinguish between leadership and management? I would imagine that, hearing you talk about culture and communication, that anyone can exercise leadership in an organization. Would you agree? Thanks for giving us lots to think about.