What is everyday leadership?
Also called daily leadership, everyday leadership is how supervisors and managers lead their teams during each workday. It involves making decisions about managing a team and taking steps to motivate and inspire them. Setting a good example, encouraging collaboration and teamwork and developing employees’ skills are also important parts of everyday leadership.
Desirable traits for daily leadership
Certain traits are highly beneficial for effective daily leadership. Being able to recognize them in yourself and others can allow you to improve your own performance and make informed decisions when considering candidates for open positions and promotions. Traits of effective everyday leadership include all the following characteristics.
Related: Lead from the Top: A Leadership Qualities List for Effective Management
1. Flexibility
Daily leadership is all about consistency. To be effective, supervisors must be ready to motivate and guide their teams each workday.
Unfortunately, not every day at work will be the same. A supervisor might come to work expecting to perform a few tasks and end up spending their entire day solving an unexpected problem or find that their team needs them to lend a hand to complete a project or execute a plan.
Flexibility allows leaders to shift gears with little or no notice. A flexible person can adapt quickly to change and continue to provide effective daily leadership, even when things don’t go according to plan or unforeseen challenges arise.
Learn More: Tips for Improving Adaptability in the Workplace
2. Resilience
Even the most productive of teams will have setbacks from time to time. Effective daily leadership requires supervisors to be resilient in the face of adversity, so they can help their team weather challenging times.
Imagine a team losing a bid after working hard on a proposal. Employees would likely feel defeated and discouraged. A supervisor who can’t shake off the loss might worsen the problem, while one who bounces back quickly can help employees do the same.
In this example, an effective daily leader might start a discussion about what might have gone wrong and then shift employees’ focus to how to overcome shortcomings to increase the chances of future success. Employees then feel empowered and ready to try again, rather than demotivated.
3. Empathy
For effective everyday leadership, supervisors must be able to empathize with employees. Understanding where employees are coming from allows supervisors to meet their team members where they are.
For example, an employee struggling with job performance may have issues in their personal lives that need to be resolved. An empathetic supervisor might see that until the situation improves, the person may need fewer responsibilities or increased support. They might also assist the employee with finding resources to address the underlying personal problem.
Empathy also allows leaders to make more informed decisions. Being able to walk in their direct reports’ shoes makes it possible for them to see how something like a policy change may negatively impact their lives or interfere with their ability to perform their daily responsibilities at work.
4. Realistic optimism
Keeping employees motivated is a core part of daily leadership. Supervisors who approach situations from an optimistic state of mind are more likely to instill confidence in their team.
However, supervisors need to be realistic when demonstrating optimism. When there is a serious issue, simply saying, “Everything will work out” or “I’m sure things will improve” can seem naive, empty or even insulting.
A more tempered approach to optimism involves more than looking on the bright side. Supervisors can avoid dwelling on the negative without seeming oblivious to challenges.
For example, say a team has a tight deadline for completing a project and a problem arises that will set back their work. Someone with strong everyday leadership skills might say, “I know this poses a problem and makes things harder, but I also know this team can accomplish a lot when we work together. This is difficult but not impossible. How can I best help you overcome this? What can we do together to get back on track?”
5. Sense of purpose
People who are effective at daily leadership find meaning in their work. They understand how what they do contributes to the success of the company. They also have a sense of purpose, knowing that by performing their job duties well, they make a difference.
A supervisor with this trait can instill it in others. When they draw satisfaction from achieving goals and helping their employers succeed, they can more easily show their direct reports how they fit into everything. Employees gain more perspective and see that they matter to the organization, too. In turn, they may no longer see assignments as busy work or boxes to check off but as another way that they’re helping the company succeed.
6. Humility
Every supervisor makes mistakes. They might arrive at a decision that reduces morale, say something in an unproductive way, forget something important or make an error that negatively affects their team. Some mistakes may be minor, while others might be major problems.
While there’s likely no way to avoid mistakes of all sizes, a leader can control what happens after them. Practicing humility can go a long way toward resolving situations and building trust.
A humble person admits to their mistakes. They then offer a sincere apology, explain how they can do better and commit to change. They don’t act as if nothing happened, shift blame or make excuses.
By being open and practicing humility, supervisors can maintain or repair trust with their teams. Employees will usually be willing to forgive when they feel that the person they report to is truly remorseful and accepts accountability.
Related: How Humility Can Improve Your Business
7. Openness
Supervisors need to have some distance between themselves and their employees. After all, close friendships can complicate relationships with direct reports and make it difficult to deliver criticism and handle disciplinary matters.
Despite the need for some separation between managers and their teams, effective daily leadership generally requires openness. A supervisor can’t be a strong leader if they’re a mystery to their direct reports. Employees need to understand who they’re working for to feel comfortable and secure.
A supervisor who is completely closed off may seem unapproachable, untrustworthy or even hostile. As a result, leaders need to be as transparent as possible. Being upfront about issues, explaining the logic behind decisions and letting some emotions show can build trust and respect with a team.
Employees should never feel surprised by their supervisors. When working for an open supervisor who practices effective daily leadership, team members should have a good sense of how well they’re performing every day. They’ll be aware of how they can improve and what their strengths are.
Everyday leadership FAQs
Why is everyday leadership important?
Everyday leadership is vital to the success of your company. Strong daily leadership can boost productivity and work quality by encouraging employees to perform at their best every day. Effective supervisors and managers can establish a positive workplace environment that increases morale and reduces turnover. Plus, employees working under people who prioritize everyday leadership are more likely to grow and develop in their roles. As a result, company-wide leadership can lead to more quality internal candidates to fill open positions.
How do I assess daily leadership ability in candidates?
While people can strengthen their daily leadership skills through goal-setting and ongoing commitment to personal development, individuals who possess certain traits may be higher quality candidates for open supervisory positions. One of the best ways to gauge whether a candidate has these traits is to ask questions related to leadership during interviews.
How do I improve my own daily leadership skills?
To start improving your leadership skills, begin by identifying one area of improvement. Solicit feedback from your own supervisor and honestly appraise your own performance to decide what to focus on. Then, create a one-month daily leadership improvement plan. Outline ways you can address your area of weakness and commit to achieving these actionable steps. At the end of the month, return to your plan and see how well you did. If you were successful, continue these best practices and set a new goal for the next month. Should you fall short, examine why and revise your plan as needed.
