Yahoo! Small Business Advisor posted \u201c8 Signs of an Extraordinary Boss\u201d by Geoffrey James. It\u2019s an excellent article for owners and managers to affirm the things they\u2019re doing well and take note of areas that need improvement.<\/p>\n
1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.<\/strong> According to James, \u201cAverage bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of \u2018troops\u2019 to order about, demonize competitors as \u2018enemies,\u2019 and treat customers as \u2018territory\u2019 to be conquered.\u201d<\/p>\n Friendly competition between co-workers is always a fun, motivational exercise, but turning your teams against one another only creates chaos for your business. Extraordinary bosses see the value in creating partnerships and create a diverse environment to promote a wide range of ideas for the greatest successes.<\/p>\n 2. A company is a community, not a machine.<\/strong> This has always been a disparaging characterization of big business, but it seems to be gaining momentum in smaller business characterization today as well. \u201cAverage bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by \u2018pulling levers\u2019 and \u2018steering the ship.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Exceptional bosses realize the value of each individual employee. They find out what goals their employees have and work together to achieve them. Inspiring your employees creates a sense of loyalty, not only for them but also for your customers and community.<\/p>\n 3. Management is service, not control.<\/strong> \u201cAverage bosses want employees to do exactly what they’re told. They’re hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the \u2018wait and see what the boss says\u2019 mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n None of us want to be micro-managed: It\u2019s a time suck and it actually hinders productivity and progress. Allowing employees to govern themselves to an extent promotes responsibility and a sense of self-worth.<\/p>\n 4. My employees are my peers, not my children.<\/strong> \u201cAverage bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can’t be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from this attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.\u201d<\/p>\n Attitude reflects leadership. Don\u2019t treat your employees like children unless you want them to act like children. James says, \u201cExcellence is expected everywhere [by an exemplary boss], from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.<\/strong> Picture Alec Baldwin in \u201cGlengarry Glen Ross\u201d or Gary Cole from \u201cOffice Space,\u201d two of Hollywood\u2019s all-time worst bosses. Cutting employees down or assigning extra work on the weekends is just too cruel. \u201cAverage bosses see fear \u2013 of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege \u2013 as a crucial way to motivate people. As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Trying to scare employees will only work in the short term because they\u2019ll eventually find work opportunities elsewhere. In the words of Geoffrey James, \u201cExtraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they’ll be a part of it. As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization’s goals, truly enjoy what they’re doing and (of course) know they’ll share in the rewards.\u201d<\/p>\n 6. Change equals growth, not pain.<\/strong> Change is a part of life, so having a staff that\u2019s willing to change and grow will find more value in their career. \u201cWhile they don’t value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business,\u201d says James.<\/p>\n