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Being a boss and having responsibility for the direction and leadership of a group of people or an entire organization is an incredible responsibility. But being the boss does not mean that you have to be intimidating for your employees to perform at optimal levels. As a matter of fact, an effective and successful boss is rarely intimidating.

Succeeding in management does not require that you are overbearing and threatening in your position. An unapproachable and menacing demeanor as a boss only serves to make employees feel threatened and uncomfortable. This can actually lead to lower levels of productivity, higher rates of employee turn-over, and lost profits in the long-run.

Intimidation does not lead to a successful, productive work environment. It is more effective for you to be approachable, communicative, and supportive to your team. Showing and gaining respect is much more important than inducing fear into them. Your leadership style should show respect for each individual, while maintaining the authoritative position you hold, without deploying aggressive and intimidating behaviors.

Gaining respect from your employees is the key to being a great boss. There are several ways to gain respect from associates:

1. Give clear direction and clarify any questions posed by employees. Make sure they understand the job to be done, how performance will be evaluated, and the timelines and due dates for all deliverables.

2. Listen to what they have to say. Employees are the front-line to the customer and they often see things that are overlooked by the management team. They have valuable insights into the customer's needs and can often initiate product or process improvement efforts. Respect what they have to say. You do not necessarily have to agree or act on their feedback, but when you listen to them, you gain their respect and they will work harder for you and the company.

3. Be approachable by being visible to them. A boss who is always behind closed doors or in another building is intimidating. Employees may feel isolated and under-valued since the boss does not take time to see what they are doing. Make a concerted effort to be visible to the employees and speak to each person you meet in the work area. This will go a long way in gaining respect from the employees.

4. Say what you will do and do what you will say. When you tell employees that you will do something, make sure that you follow-through. This is much more important than instilling fear in them to get

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