Talent and HR News Weekly Roundup: What Makes the Best Boss

Bosses get a bad rap. Let's face it, they're in tough spots - managing upwards, downwards, sideways, crossways. Needless to say, they juggle a lot. We’ve all had experiences with both bad and good bosses - those who could care less what you did on the weekend, and those who go the extra mile to advocate for you during performance reviews.You need to have enough of them in order to recognize those qualities that make a boss great because sometimes we don’t realize we have a good boss until we have a really bad one. This week’s weekly round-up includes insights into what makes the best boss, so pay close attention all you current and future bosses!

1) Why Gay Men Make the Best Bosses from Details.com

"...during Snyder’s five-year study of American executives, he stumbled on some startling findings: Gay male bosses produce 35 to 60 percent higher levels of employee engagement, satisfaction, and morale than straight bosses. This is no small achievement: According to human-resources consulting firm Towers Perrin, only a measly 14 percent of the global corporate workforce are fully engaged by their jobs. And the Saratoga Institute, a group that measures the effectiveness of HR departments, found that in a study of 20,000 workers who had quit their jobs, the primary motivator for jumping ship was their supervisors’ behavior."

2) Top 10 Traits of an Exceptional Boss from Huffington Post

"They’re effective, not productive. We live and work in a fast-paced, ever-changing, highly competitive world. Maybe there was a time when process and productivity ruled, but these days, management needs to be flexible and adaptive. Sure, you’ve got to prioritize, but once you figure out what needs to be done, it’s generally more important to be effective than to squeeze every last iota of productivity out of yourself and your people."

3) On Leadership: Things a Great Boss Never Does from PR News

"A great boss never…assumes he or she is the smartest person in the room. - Nikki Bracy, public relations account executive at Vitamin. Organizations are full of creative and talented people, and all of the smarts are not reserved for the corner office. Good bosses need confidence in their own intelligence, but they should also have an open disposition and seek input from all levels of the company."

4) Best of the Rest: Articles for Your Boss from The WorkBuzz (powered by CareerBuilder)

"Fear doesn’t really work as a motivational technique – and it takes on a life of its own in an organization. “Some leaders believe that a little fear actually keeps everyone on their toes,” says Laurie K. Cure of Innovative Connections, Inc., a consulting company that focuses on organizational effectiveness. “I maintain the belief that creating safe, open work environments is a better way to ensure innovation, creativity and productivity.” Why Fear Doesn’t Create Accountability via Intuit. Lesson: Fear can be stifling. Transparency and respect are more powerful leadership tools."

Be tough on problems, not on the people helping you solve them. Yes, you’ll have to make some difficult decisions but this doesn’t mean you should be difficult to deal with. Inspire your team – don’t terrify them. “This is being ‘soft.’ The tone you set will reverberate through the culture of your organization.”A crash course in leadership… via Fast Company. Lesson: Working side-by-side with people to solve problems will work. Raising your voice and losing your cool won’t really help."

Lexi Gordon is a Lead Consultant for exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps startups and high-growth companies build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about how we can help you build a workforce that’s aligned with your company culture and develop an employer brand that will allow your business to scale the right way.

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