6 Tips To Being The CEO Everyone Loves

by Kevin Kaiser of Startup Biz Blog

Have you ever had a boss that you just didn’t like? I am assuming that the answer to that question is yes. It happens, sometimes we just have to suck it up in the name of professionalism. It is extremely difficult to work in a hostile environment, and often the reason for hostility is simply personality clashes. Keeping a positive outlook is important in any field, regardless of if you are a freelance writer, who works from the comfort of your own home or you are the CEO of a brand new business, it is necessary to be able to work well with others, even the ones you don’t really like.

Being the CEO is sometimes the hardest job of all. Ultimately, you have to make the decisions and find solutions to any problem that comes your way. Even on your worst of days, keeping your glass half full will help you to find success.

Here are some tips to keeping your staff happy, while pushing them to get the job done efficiently. By doing so, you will not find yourself the boss that nobody likes:

Compliment your employees, even when they make a mistake.

Ever heard of a compliment sandwich? Put a positive on each side of the negative. This will show your employee that you appreciate what they are doing right, while offering the constructive criticism to help them better where they could be weak.

Award them with bonuses.

Bonuses come in many different forms, it could be a little extra money on their paycheck or a gift card to a fancy restaurant. This doesn’t have to come at the end of the fiscal year or only at Christmas time. Do you notice a particular employee staying late to get the job done? Show them that you appreciate it. They will be happier to help and more in tune with the tasks they are fulfilling.

Don’t raise your voice or allow them to see your frustration.

Everyone has off days, and as the CEO, you are allowed to have them as well. This doesn’t mean you go around taking it out on everyone you see. Showing anger will cause your employees to be afraid when they make a mistake. You want them to be comfortable to talk to you about them, so they can be fixed.

Be a team player.

Your employees will respect you much more if they view you as someone who works beside them versus someone who is there to control their every move. Yes, at times they need a boss, but no one wants a boss who believes he/she is better than them. Without your employees your business would not thrive. It is not a one man show, and they are not your pawns.

Give regular raises as your business sees growth.

Everyone goes to work to get paid, your employees will work much harder if they know that they will be rewarded at the end. Giving them a pay increase before yourself will show them how much you really do appreciate a job well done.

Listen to their suggestions.

While you are off running a business, your staff is off living out your mission through the consumers. Often, they will see things that could be done better. You may disagree, but at least give them the opportunity to speak before shutting down their idea. I had that very thing happen to me when a member of my team introduced me to contract management solutions that I had never even thought of. It ended up saving our team time and more importantly, allowed us to stay under our budget.

A CEO should not be someone who is feared, you should be someone that is respected and admired. Keeping your staff happy will create a team dynamic that will help your company to reach new heights. If you find that you have someone who is not a part of the team, it is your job to fix that. Often this means the difficult decision of letting them go. But before you have to go to such extremes make sure that you are doing your part, and it is not due to your lack of positivity.

Kevin Kaiser is an entrepreneur who deals with online marketing and reputation management for start-ups he’s involved in and can be found writing at Startup Biz Blog.