How to Become a More Considerate Leader

Collaborative Post

If you run a business with employees, you have to become more than just a manager. You need to be able to lead your team to success so that your business can succeed and continue to grow. There are many qualities that make someone a leader, but one that might fall by the wayside is consideration.

How can being considerate and empathetic help you become a better leader?

Image Credit.

Why It Matters

It can be easy to focus on money and productivity when you’re running a business. But the most important assets your company has isn’t the equipment or tools you use, it’s the people who get things done.

You wouldn’t run a car into the ground without any maintenance and expect it to be useful and cost effective way to operate a vehicle. In the same way, you wouldn’t expect people to work without showing any consideration to their health or needs.

If you do put consideration aside, so will your employees. They won’t consider the needs of their teammates, the business, or you. Instead, they will do what they need to survive, and this might mean moving onto another company that can fit in with their lifestyle.

Mental Health at Work

One way to focus on consideration is to think about the mental and physical health of your employees. You have a legal obligation to keep your employees physically safe at the workplace, and an injury is expensive and painful for everyone involved.

But what about mental health?

According to one study, only 46% of employees rated their workplace mental health as very good or excellent. What does this mean for you and your employees?

Happy people are productive people. But mental health problems can rob people of their motivation, their ability to focus, and their joy. It can lead to burnout, which essentially means they stop functioning at work and in their lives.

As an employer, focus on supporting your employees. Make the workplace as safe a place as you can. Make it comfortable and a pleasant environment.

Improving Morale

Morale doesn’t just make people more likely to stick around, it also directly improves productivity.

As a team leader, it’s up to you to improve morale. Make sure people feel listened to. Look for ways to help people get along as more than simply coworkers. Team building exercises can be helpful ways to not only get people used to working together, but also to be used to hanging out together and enjoying each other’s company.

Flexibility

When you’re a flexible employer, people will feel as though you’re trying to meet their needs. For example, some people might need certain schedules due to health concerns or other responsibilities. Some people might benefit from remote working days when they need them.

Wherever possible, try to meet these needs. Even if you can’t do everything your employees ask, find ways to make their work lives easier so they can manage other responsibilities. Most people will reciprocate in turn.

—End of collaborative post—

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