Be the Leader People Are Drawn To

Many jobs ago, I had a manager whom everyone wanted to work with.

They had the usual complement of positive traits that most people cite when talking about good leaders:

-knowledge of the industry and the company

-problem-solving skills

-communicated clearly and respectfully with their team members and other colleagues

-reasonable expectations for the people on their team, empowering them to do their jobs and make role-specific decisions.

But I realized after working for other managers that this person possessed other traits that were less common:

They listened deeply, turning all their attention to the speaker and letting them finish their thoughts before asking questions or commenting.

This manager wholeheartedly believed, too, that given the desired result, their team members could determine the path there without micromanagement.

When I was given a new assignment, they had confidence in me that I would figure things out and ask questions when I needed help. And I did just that.

They also made it safe to take risks. Trying something new sometimes means making mistakes. They encouraged their team members to make their ideas a reality anyway.

When I was working on a new project and had skipped a planning step, they received the news calmly and asked for my ideas on how to correct my error. We agreed on a plan, and I learned a valuable lesson that I probably wouldn’t have if I had felt unsafe to try things out on my own.

In subsequent roles, I worked with managers who ranged from great to awful. The ones who were great had a long line of people wanting to work on their teams. The awful ones had a long line of people leaving.

You probably won’t be surprised that the bad managers had a usual complement of negative traits:

-Weaponizing their experience, jabbing team members with it each time someone had an original thought; it was their way or no way

-Cutting people off mid-sentence and routinely talking over team members, rarely listening to what any of them said

-Changing goals on whims and then gaslighting anyone who tried to point that out

-Demanding that team members get their approval for every task

Over the years, I've gathered a number of Don’ts from watching those bad managers make a mess of their teams and careers:

❌Don’t be an empire builder.

You are not in charge just to forward your own career at everyone else’s expense. When you don’t care about developing your team members and build walls to keep them in and others out, they will walk AND they will tell everyone who will listen how bad you are to work with.

❌Don’t think you’re the only one with ideas.

You are not the only one who can provide intelligent input. Your team members have knowledge and suggestions that are worthy of airtime.

❌Don’t put your team in a box.

When you demand that your team members do what you would do the way you would do it, you’re robbing your team and your organization of the innovation that comes from people being free to think on their own.

How can you be a leader who attracts talent?

Here are some Do’s to help your teams and career thrive:

✅Do be an empowerer and supporter.

Empowered team members feel more connected to the team’s and organization’s goals. They’re more focused and feel a deeper sense of purpose and accountability in their work. Providing the support they need in the form of tools, training, and feedback will reinforce the message that you want them to succeed.

✅Do ask questions and listen to the answers.

You’ll demonstrate to your team that they can trust you and that it’s safe to share their ideas.

✅Do give your team space to think.

You’ll spark your team’s creativity and productivity. You’ll also build a reputation as a leader who enables and drives innovation.

✅Do communicate proactively.

Sharing goals, expectations, and the why behind them help your team members understand how their work fits into the bigger picture. The clear, positive communication will also help them feel valued and trusted.

When your team is productive and engaged, their work speaks volumes for your talent as a leader. Your career will benefit as a result.