The Brilliant Leadership Skill Every Successful Professional Needs

Ever had one of those bosses that walks into the office every morning and goes right into their office, not to emerge until they were heading to a meeting, lunch or the bathroom? They might have been warm and friendly otherwise and their technical skill may have been top notch, but they were lacking something. What they were lacking is one brilliant leadership skill that everyone—including you—should have if you want to be successful.

Connecting with other members of the workforce is one of the most important skills you can have. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in management or a regular worker. People who invest in creating relationships with their co-workers are better collaborators, communicators and connectors. That directly leads to creating a positive workplace and you can ensure you’re seen as central to that feeling. Every professional—no matter his or her position at an organization—can become a leader by taking the time to connect with collegues.

A brilliant leadership skill for managers and supervisors 

According to a slideshow by SlideShare on The Daily Muse, managers often discount acknowledging their teams in the morning because they don’t think it’s important. However, simply saying hello or good morning every day can be the basis of strong workplace relationships. Connecting with team members encourages employees to approach you with feedback or concerns. That helps create an environment of trust and communication.

In an article for Entrepreneur, Mark Sanborn, president of leadership development firm Sanborn & Associates, wrote investing time and supporting workers helps managers show they value their employees. Yet, creating this connection can be difficult when leaders say staff work “for” them rather than “with” them. Managers like you want to watch your choice of words. Focus on developing a culture of collaboration to connect with your employees.

And, for employees  

All professionals can benefit from investing their energies in fostering workplace relationships. According to the slideshow, people don’t follow leaders simply because of their positions, but because they trust the individual. You can build this trust with your co-workers by having a positive attitude and constantly striving to collaborate with them. Professionals can foster their workplace connections by showing their co-workers they value teamwork.

It doesn’t take much to start building strong work relationships but if you’ve been hesitating, start today. If you’re an introvert (like your author) you have to push yourself out there and it might be one of the harder things for you to do. However, when it works … and it will … you’ll wonder why it took you so long to do it. Become a leader at your work and watch your happiness and job satisfaction soar!