Many people strive to be strong leaders in their business lives. Get it right and you have a strong and productive team who are on your side through thick and thin. Get it wrong and you can find yourself swimming against the current and struggling to motivate people. Some people seem to naturally possess the qualities that it takes to succeed, while others work hard on skills. Whether you are just becoming a manager for the first time, or have been leading teams for years, it is always a good idea to brush up on your management and leadership abilities.

Be Authentic

Honesty is a quality that people value extremely highly. Your management style should be an extension of your own personality, and people naturally don’t warm to people they consider to be ‘fake’. Similarly, try to be straightforward and don’t bombard people with management speak. If there is bad news to deliver, don’t try to sugarcoat it as people can usually see through you. If you are open with your team, they are much more likely to be open with you. Creating an environment of trust is absolutely essential when you are in a leadership role.

Show Professionalism Towards the Company

As a senior representative of the company, it is not a good idea to constantly complain about decisions and to openly undermine those senior to you. If you have a problem, you should go to those people directly. While you cannot possibly agree with every decision, you can show your team that you understand the reasons they have been made without seeming like a corporate stooge. Too much negativity can spread through your team quickly and cause significant problems in the long run.

Manage Conflict

When you are managing conflict, you need to make sure you are addressing the issues head on. More advice can be found through http://growtrue.net/conflict-resolution-skills/. If you sense any conflict arising in your team, make sure you take the people involved aside to find out exactly what is going on. Avoiding the issue can lead to the problem festering and disrupting other parts of the business.

Speak to People One-to-One

Many people are not comfortable expressing their feelings in a group environment so you should try to talk to talk to your team members on a one-to-one basis. Not only do you get to find out exactly how they are feeling, people begin to become more trusting of you and are likely to support you more in the future. Schedule these on a regular basis for senior members of the team, but also don’t leave anyone out as this can cause feelings of resentment. Any issues you are having with the performance of a particular employee should always be expressed on a one-on-one basis and not in front of the team. People love to hear when they have done a good job so don’t forget to share this with them and encourage them to continue achieving their best.