Go From Defective to Effective Leadership

by Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP

A third scenario involves dealing with a lazy employee or one that is not doing his or her fair share of the work. A defective manager doesn't say or do anything and is convinced that there is no hope for this employee. The rest of the team continues to resent this employee and morale takes a serious nosedive. Weiss says that an effective leader knows how to give positive and negative reinforcement. The leader confronts the lazy employee, while continuing to offer positive reinforcement to the other team members, recognizing them for their good work.

Another common situation that can reduce morale very quickly within an organizational team is that dirty word - gossip. And gossip is never more prevalent than when job loss rumors are circulating. The defective manager ignores the situation or becomes aggravated with employees, telling them that the situation is none of their business and must stop immediately. The effective leader handles it very differently. Weiss responds, "To be effective, the leader needs to keep the lines of communication open and explain as much as possible, even if the rumors may be true. A good response is, 'I have information that I will share with you, just not at this time.'"

A final scenario, especially with growing companies that are hiring at a rapid pace, is the department has created cliques and is excluding new employees. The defective manager ignores the situation because he or she actually believes in favoritism and may even be part of the clique. He or she believes that new employees have to "get tough" and earn the right to be "in" with the other team members. "The effective leader will include all employees in periodic team building exercises and needs to reward veterans who take on a mentoring role with new employees," said Weiss. "The mentoring process is a productive way for new employees to feel a sense of where they are and where they are going. It also gives the mentors a leadership role and a positive sense of purpose in the organization. It's a simple way to create a real WIN-WIN for all involved."

Weiss says the most important part of effective management is effective communication, "Learning these vital communication skills can increase morale and the bottom line in any organization."

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Go From Defective to Effective Leadership