Great Leaders Create Supportive Environments
By Elizabeth Mannix, Ph.D.
The success of an organization relies on the productivity and satisfaction of its employees, which in turn relies on excellence in leadership. How can a good leader become a great leader?
When you are evaluating your own leadership skills, the first thing to do is determine your leadership style. Then, consider if your way of leadership is bringing out the best assets in your people. Whether you’re in the top leadership team of your credit union, heading up a smaller team, or even working one-on-one with another individual, most of what you do relies on the abilities and success of the people you manage. How can you be more effective in your particular leadership style to help your employees succeed?
One way to do so is to create a climate that makes your employees feel motivated, creative and supported. On a tactical level, this means providing your employees with the resources they need. It could be as simple as providing them with a computer program or more space to meet and work. They may need training in a certain set of skills in order to better perform their job. These seemingly simple solutions can make a big difference to your employees.
Motivating your employees also requires encouragement in the form of incentive. “Incentive” usually refers to compensation or benefits, but when it comes to building a supportive culture, it means letting your employees know your credit union encourages and rewards them for taking on more responsibility and challenges.