by Todd Hicks

Created on: January 06, 2010   Last Updated: November 10, 2010

If you are a leader, are you trying to become a better one? In addition to focusing on matters that carry heavy significance, it is necessary to be concerned with taking care of things that do not carry as much weight. You will learn some small things you should do or focus on as an effective leader and why it is important to do so.

One thing you should do is apologize to your employees for recently treating them improperly or being negligent. If you recently yelled at an employee without provocation or you forgot to do something that concerns him or her, it is wise to apologize. This will make you feel better, it is likely to reduce any hard feelings the employee might have and it could help you avoid wasting money through having a high turnover rate. Keep in mind that even people who try hard to be forgiving are likely to subconsciously remember how you treat them, especially if you do not try to make amends.

Another thing you should do is give praise. Your employees are more likely to feel appreciated if you praise them.

You must back up what you say. If you say you will do a particular thing or you promise your workers you will reward them for making good progress, you must follow up on that in order to earn their respect and trust.

Do you tend to walk past employees without saying anything or do you only address them when you need something? If so, stop doing it. If you continue to do this, they are likely to think that they are just numbers to only be spoken to when it is convenient.

It is helpful to smile warmly around your employees most of the time. If you do so, you will humanize yourself and help portray yourself as a boss who is approachable.

Consider recognizing your staff members’ good performance with employee awards and discussing their good work in front of their fellow workers. Your employees are more likely to feel adequate if they know that others are aware of their success.

You must treat all of your workers the same. This must be done to promote fairness and to prevent jealousy and resentment from developing.

You must never neglect to thank the employees for doing the right thing and excelling on the job. They will be more content if they are thanked for “keeping up the good work”.

You should do something for your employees, at least once or twice a month. This will help you get the staff to see you in a better light.

Quickly forgive all tiny mistakes your workers make. If you brush off simple harmless errors, you will be an effective leader while staying calm and encouraging everyone else to do the same.

You have learned the importance of doing small things for effective leadership. Adhere to this information to gain respect, reduce your turnover and make your firm successful!

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