Often managers and leaders are so focused on the concept of leading that they tend to forget how to be human. Ultimately, they start to lose that meaningful connection with the members of their team, and this can certainly cause some problems in the workplace. Employees want to be more than just ordered about—they want a positive bond, they want connectedness.
One of the major problems, however, is that managers fail to see their lack of "humanness." Most surveyed thought they were motivating and consequently had a productive impact on their team. Whereas, employees surveyed had a different opinion, with over eighty percent citing that their leaders at work were rather uninspiring.
So what can managers do to turn things around, reconnect with their employees and even inspire them to want to work together and thus perform optimally…First off, managers must become more self-aware and understand that they need to be more human than a leader.
It's okay to be personal
In other words, upon making decisions for your team, put yourself in their shoes first. You can't be afraid to apply your leadership strategies to your own life and see how you would be impacted. And then proceed accordingly.
Sometimes you have to be selfless
Again, it's about taking the time to actually think about those people that your leadership is impacting. If something can benefit them, even though it may not be the best decision for you personally, you don't want to discount this. In fact, if something will benefit others, it's probably a very good move.
Show some compassion
Compassion counts for a lot in the business world, perhaps because we don't see nearly enough of it. Think about how you can truly help your team—individually and collectively. Let them know that you are there for them and that you have their back.
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