12 Things Bosses Should Do, But Don’t


The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

You probably feel like you’re a great boss, but unfortunately, your employees might not agree. In fact, a survey by Assocham revealed 70 percent of respondents say employees walk out the door because of the indifferent attitude of their boss or immediate supervisor.

Bad bosses may explain why Gallup recently discovered 70 percent of the American workforce is checked out on the job. Low engagement means lost productivity, decreased morale, and drooping profits for your business.

What’s the key to becoming a good boss, retaining your best people, and keeping them engaged? Here are 12 lessons Michael Scott from The Office probably never learned. By listening to the wisdom of these entrepreneurs, you can forge your own leadership style and become the sort of boss employees love:

1. Be Vulnerable

Bosses lead by example whether they realize it or not. Being vulnerable, admitting and working on your weaknesses and disclosing fears all create an environment where others do the same. If you want an organization powered by people who care, exhibit caring for both your employees and yourself.

-Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

2. Be an Expert in Your Industry

Bosses are busy managing and leading, so they typically don't have time to work on positioning themselves as experts in the industry. Creating content, speaking at conferences and building other brand vehicles takes time. However, your employees will respect you more, and you will be able to attract higher quality talent.

-John Hall, Influence & Co.

3. Clean the Bathroom

Everything is your job. Let your team see you doing tasks that might surprise them. It helps them to see you less as a boss and more as someone who's in it with them and willing do whatever to help make the organization successful. It also helps send the message that they should look around and do whatever they can to help the organization, even if it "isn't in their job description."

-Andrew Howlett, Rain

4. Find Employees' Genius Zones

As bosses, we get so focused on how to grow the business that we forget to grow the team. Growing a team properly is difficult and sometimes feels like you're taking a step back or just treading water. Employees have genius zones where they work most efficiently, so developing or tapping into those should be first priority. As soon as your team is working at full speed, you can, too.

-Andrew Vest, Preferling

5. Offer Validation

We all love to be validated. As a boss, I love to be validated. It's built into our psyche and developed from childhood.

Validating people's work and contributions isn't hard to do, but people deeply appreciate it when you take the time to do it genuinely. I'm always amazed at how often/easily this is overlooked.

-Wil Schroter, Fundable

6. Know When to Step Aside

A good boss hires highly talented women and men and lets them do their thing. Knowing when to jump in the trenches versus when to step aside is a sign of a seasoned boss. As an entrepreneur and/or founder, this is especially important. You can't grow a huge business if you're in the weeds all the time.

-Danny Boice, Speek

7. Buy Lunch

One of my favorite things to do is randomly buy lunch for my employees. Sure, we aren't Google, and we don't have a massive cafeteria, but I am able to do a surprise pizza (or other food of choice) day in the office about once a week. The cost of the gesture is usually not too high, and it gives everyone something to look forward to -- quality time together.

-Vinny Antonio, Victory Marketing Agency

8. Take a Holiday

We all need to rest our minds and find inspiration away from our laptops and iPhones. Unfortunately, there's always something important, the timing is never right or you "just need to do this thing." It's unhealthy for everyone, including the good boss who needs to recharge to stay good or even become great. American corporate culture doesn't appreciate this, but it should.

-Kasper Hulthin, Podio

9. Address Problems Quickly

Great bosses don't let conflicts with clients or between colleagues fester. Create an environment where people feel free to bring issues to you early on and have the confidence that you'll work proactively to address them.

-Mary Ellen Slayter, Reputation Capital

10. Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

A boss oftentimes wants to take credit for every success his or her company has. A great boss will give credit to a team member where it is due. This is a good way to keep your team motivated, and it really makes them feel valuable.

-Phil Laboon, Clear Sky SEO

11. Get to Know Team Members as Individuals

Great bosses should take the time to truly get to know their employees. Doing so helps leaders understand each person as an individual (their dreams, fears, etc.), which can be tremendously helpful in structuring work in a way that capitalizes on unique strengths and intrinsic motivations. It also helps leaders give the most meaningful feedback to each employee along the way.

-Chris Cancialosi, GothamCulture

12. Give Feedback Outside of Performance Reviews

Managers should not wait for performance reviews to give positive feedback or constructive criticism. Employees can adjust their performance and style faster with more input.

-Jesse Pujji, Ampush

About Ilya Pozin:

Founder of Open Me and Ciplex. Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. Gadget lover, investor, mentor, husband, father, and '30 Under 30' entrepreneur. Follow Ilya below to stay up-to-date with his articles and updates!

Top Photo: Peshkova / shutterstock

Jackson Lumara

washing bay and fueling supervisor at Qas aviation company

8y

touched by point #3,10,11,12

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Danica T. Nguyen

Regulatory Affairs | Quality Assurance | Volunteer

8y

Great read, thank you for sharing.

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Ben Pottiez

Lead Consultant at TECHWIN Software

9y

Love the article. Have had the luck to work for people who come close to this profile. "Treat your employees as you'd want to be treated..."

Linda wiseman

Purchasing Associate at Groninger USA L.L.C.

9y

Very well said by all!!

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