Strong Leaders Impact Staff

People often tell me that I remind them of my mother. Honestly, I take that as a complement. My mom is honest, hardworking, compassionate and very determined. Both my parents have instilled these same traits in me.
 
But isn’t that how it works? Aren’t we shaped by the experiences and the examples of others? I like to think that we see the best in people and then work to mirror those attributes both personally and professionally.

Just as my parents have helped influence the person I have become, my work has been sculpted by the managers and mentors I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the years.

That said, I am sad to report that my boss plans to retire at the end of the year. You may not know him, but he has been with our company for almost 40 years, and his influence helped launch this publication and shape it into what it is today.

If you were acquainted, you’d know that he is quite the wordsmith, has a keen eye for design and has a very clever wit. And it is through his supervision that I have learned to be a better editor and a better leader.

As managers within your facilities, you can relate that it isn’t always easy to be a strong leader. You don’t need to be the very best floor technician, or the quickest at disinfecting a restroom. But you better be able to jump in when necessary. As a strong leader, you need to know your people, how they work and how they communicate.

A strong manager is a cheerleader for the department and they know how to listen. But more than anything, they lead by example because that’s what staff will mirror.

That last point was the overwhelming similarity of the six winners of our first Managers of Distinction Award. Traditionally, if you ask six people what makes a good leader, you’ll get six different answers. But for our winners (outlined on p. 4), they all agree that demonstrating a certain quality of customer service is a must for strong leaders.

We owe it to ourselves, and our staffs, to be the best leader we can be. There is always someone watching, studying and picking up the best in you so that they can, one day, mirror those strengths when they become manager.