Have you ever had a bad leader? Unfortunately, you’re probably nodding your head yes. And you probably spent a lot of time dissecting what made him/her such a poor leader.

But what about when you have a good leader? Do you know the things that a good leader does to create an exceptional work environment? 

You might be surprised to learn there are some common things that great leaders do to bring out the best in their team – and here are just a few of those things. 

• Communicates With Their Team: A good leader will spend time communicating with their team – and this includes both talking and listening. They will share the company’s mission, goals, strategies, and more – and will make sure that everyone is on the same page. And, you can count on them to be transparent with you – even if it’s news you don’t want to hear.
• Allows Others to Speak Up: Have you ever wanted to tell your boss something but didn’t feel comfortable doing so? Maybe you were afraid there would be repercussions for speaking up? With a good leader, that will not be the case. Strong leaders are open to hearing the thoughts of everyone and recognize the value of listening to their team.
• Sets Clear Expectations: Without clear expectations, how can you know if you’re doing the job right – let alone well? A good leader will establish clear expectations and make sure that you know what they are. They will also spend time reviewing the expectations with you and offer praise for a job well done and assistance when improvement is needed.
• Challenges Themselves and Others: When business is good, and things are going well, it can be easy to sit back and let things go on as is. But a good leader will always challenge themselves – and those around them. They will look to make themselves and the business better and seek new opportunities to promote growth.
• Leads by Example: You’ve heard the expression, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Well, a great leader is not going to make those his/her words to live by. Instead, they are going to lead by example and expect you to do the same. They will make sure they are showcasing the company’s values and act as a positive role model.
• Provides Meaningful Feedback: Feedback is essential at a job. It can act as encouragement for a job well done and can be corrective when things aren’t going well. A good leader will provide both – and in a meaningful manner – so that employees can continue doing the right things and make improvements where needed.
• Allows Team Members to Do Their Jobs: If you’ve ever had a leader that has micromanaged everything – you know that it’s just not effective. Team members have been hired to fulfill certain roles, and they should be trusted to do so. Strong leaders will allow team members to do their jobs.
• Encourages Learning: Would you like to take on more responsibility at work? Would you like to learn a new skill to enhance or improve how you do your job? A great leader will encourage all members of the team to take part in learning opportunities.
• Implements Accountability for Everyone: When setting expectations, a great leader will also implement accountability. Accountability is not only for employees but for leaders as well. 

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was correct – and when you have a leader who does the things on this list, he/she is sure to have a team that succeeds.