5 Tips To Becoming A Leader Employees Respect

Being a leader does not automatically mean that you will gain the respect of your employees. Respect needs to be earned, and while it can be a difficult task, it is crucial to becoming a successful leader. Becoming a leader employees respect means that you will need to be more aware of your actions and how they affect your employees. Earning respect is an ongoing process so don’t expect changes overnight, but as long as you are putting forth an honest effort, and your employees see that you will have their respect in no time.

Whether you are a first-time or a seasoned leader, here are 5 helpful tips for becoming a leader that your employees will respect.

Communication is key:

If you want your employees to respect you, it is vital that you develop excellent communication skills. Being communicative and readily available to your employees will help to garner the respect of your team. Often, leaders will remain behind closed doors and rarely interact with their team by any form other than email. Over time this will cause your employees to feel as though you don’t care about their work or them as individuals because you cannot even take the time to speak to them face to face.

Make sure to set aside some time during the day to walk around and engage your employees. Ask them questions about their work and give them the opportunity to ask questions in turn. Employees, in the end, want to feel heard and as though they are valued, so taking the time to learn to communicate with them outside of email is a great way to earn their respect.

Be personable:

While it is not necessary for you to be best friends with all of your employees, you must be approachable and friendly towards them. Don’t be afraid to share details about your life if you feel comfortable. This helps to remind employees that you are human, just like them, and not just their boss. They will be more likely to respect you if they can relate to you as a person rather than just someone who dictates their job. Do your best to get to know your employees and take a genuine interest in those you lead.

Lead by example:

Actions are stronger than words, so it is crucial that you as a leader set an excellent example for your employees. To gain the respect of your employees, you must continually prove through your work ethic that you are trustworthy and reliable, both on the inside and out. Doing so will set the tone for your employees and will help you to become a great role model.

Trust your team:

Let’s face it; no one likes to be micromanaged. Employees are always looking to develop and improve their skills, so if you are assigning tasks to complete, make sure you let your employees figure out how to do it themselves and do your best not to hover. If you are continually telling an employee how to do something they may feel as though you do not trust their work and in turn making them feel as though they are not competent enough to do their job. An employee will have a hard time trusting a leader who doesn’t trust them, so once you have delegated a task, give your employees room to complete it on their own.

Acknowledge and appreciate:

Everyone wants recognition, no matter what role they are playing. As a leader, it is easy to receive the recognition for the accomplishments of your team, which leaves them feeling underappreciated and resentful. Instead of taking all the credit make sure you take the time to reward and acknowledge your employees and remind them how their specific job helped to complete a project or task. Let them know how much you appreciate their unique abilities and how it helps the team as a whole.

Not only will this help your team in the long run as your employees will have higher job satisfaction but taking the time to recognize each employee and their work is a surefire way to gain mutual respect.