Habits Highly Successful Business Managers Have (And How To Get Them)
PEO Leadership, a firm offering executive leadership support, offers a look at some of the most important habits of successful business managers.
According to Gallup, bad managers cost businesses billions each year and account for at least 70% of variances in employee engagement scores. Having a highly successful business manager is crucial to the overall success of a company.
The problem, however, is that not everyone knows what type of habits effective managers have. By being able to identify what those habits are, businesses can take action to find the right people to fill the position, and managers can boost their productivity and increase their efficiency.
“There is always room for improvement, no matter how great of a manager you are,” explains Leon Goren, president and chief executive officer of PEO Leadership. “The good news is that making those improvements can often be simple. It’s just a matter of taking the steps to make it happen, to incorporate new habits that will lead to better outcomes.”
When managers take action to create effective habits, they see positive results in the overall success of their business.
Here are some of the habits of highly successful business managers that PEO Leadership has identified and how to nurture them:
Delegation Skills
Highly successful leaders know how to delegate, rather than trying to do everything on their own. It’s imperative to learn to trust the people on your team. If this is an issue for you, start by delegating small tasks and building on them. It’s also important that you have the right people in the right jobs.
Building a Strong Team
When hiring for your team, don’t just look at the candidate’s past experience and qualifications. Make sure that they are a good fit for your team and your overall corporate culture. Do they share the same values? Will they fit into your team’s unique dynamics? Do they understand what the expectations are? When you have the most qualified people – from both a fit and skills perspective, you will not only feel comfortable delegating tasks to them, you will also know they are working toward reaching your company goals. The right employees know how to work efficiently, are engaged, and exponentially help the company succeed.
Commitment to Learning
The best managers never stop learning and understand that they will never know it all. They are committed to their development, they collaborate and bounce ideas off others, and they have mentors and join peer advisory boards to help them create robust and innovative solutions. These leaders continue to learn from others by discussing their challenges and opportunities and leveraging the knowledge and experience of their peers to help them grow. Joining a community like PEO Leadership, through their Senior Leadership Group, is a great investment in your personal, professional, and organizational growth.
Moving Past Fear
Being afraid to act can stifle management, which holds companies back. Highly successful leaders look to the future and are not afraid to take calculated risks. If this is something you are not comfortable with, consider engaging a leadership coach or joining a peer advisory board. Sharing your challenges and opportunities and getting feedback from multiple perspectives on your intended tactics, will enable you to apply the strategic advice to your plans and implement robust solutions. Having a mentor or successful peers review your plans will give you the confidence you need to carry them out.
Listening to Others
Learn to actively listen to others. This is a skill that many people lack, even though it can be crucial to business success. Listen to your team, colleagues, mentors, etc. Listening doesn’t mean you have to heed their advice; nonetheless, hearing their thoughts, getting multiple perspectives, and being an active listener, will help make you a more effective leader.
“It may seem overwhelming for someone to start laying the foundation to create numerous new habits all at once,” says Goren.
“The best way to start is by selecting one thing to work on at a time. Once you have a good handle on it, move on to the next habit you’d like to incorporate. Before you know it, you will have many of these down, and it will be smooth sailing.”
