SmartBrief on Leadership - Take the time for successful onboarding

Employees will comply with their boss' directives, but they will commit to a great leader who has integrity, gives them autonomy, communicates clearly and honestly, recognizes their excellent work and takes responsibility for decisions and mistakes, writes Steve Keating. "One of the greatest truths of leadership is that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care ... about them," Keating writes.

Put it into practice: The best leaders are those who can articulate their ultimate goal and inspire others to pursue it with them, Keating writes. "Passion is contagious, and when your team sees your genuine excitement, they are more likely to share it."

Bosses should take the time to onboard new employees with thorough training and clear communication, writes Molly McGrath, the founder and CEO of Hiring & Empowering Solutions. "When bosses invest hands-on time with new employees during their first weeks with the company, they see a significant improvement in relationships," McGrath writes.

Put it into practice: Onboarding new employees can also allow you to shadow other employees to see how roles might have changed. "If you wish to avoid losing a new hire and want to see your business grow and thrive, your employees need to be supported and also feel supported," McGrath writes.

Focus on contrast to engage audiences when making presentations, writes Phoebe Perelman, who recommends using contrast in thematic elements such as solutions and problems as well as visual elements. "In a nutshell, contrast places opposing elements together to highlight their differences, making it a versatile tool beyond aesthetics alone," Perelman writes.

Put it into practice: Contrast can be the secret sauce that makes your presentation stand out from the crowd. "Remember, a great presentation is not just about sharing information; it's about creating an experience that resonates with your audience," Perelman writes.

To negotiate effectively, always know who the final decision-maker is and what motivates them and find allies to create a coalition to increase your bargaining power, says Ana Dutra, a former CEO who now sits on boards at Carparts.com and Pembina Pipeline. "I would much rather deal with somebody who knows how to negotiate than somebody who doesn't because a bad negotiator is a loose cannonball. With a good negotiator, you both know the dance," Dutra says.

A University of New Hampshire analysis of satellite data across more than 1,550 cities worldwide shows that cities -- especially large municipalities in Asia -- are building upward and outward sprawl is slowing down. The trend could be positive in terms of local resource allocation and sustainability but could point to increased gentrification and displacement of poor and marginalized residents, David Wilson, a geography professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, says.

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It's absolutely true that people leave managers and not jobs. I have done it several times in my career. Most often, the bosses that I have left were micromanagers who checked your seat to make sure you were on time for work (or still there long after others had gone) or that you were not goofing off.

At each of these jobs, I was often the first to bolt, only to be followed by others. In some cases, I joined the throng, making our way to the exit. We all complied with our boss's wishes while we were there, but none of us were committed to them, which made leaving for a new job a no-brainer.

I called my last position at a university my "Barbie dream job" because my manager did everything Steve Keating describes that a boss can do to create a sense of commitment in their team members. She led by example, exhibiting nothing but integrity and authenticity. She communicated her needs without being proscriptive or standing over you to make sure you did what she asked. Instead, she knew we were professionals, so she trusted us to know our duties and do them. That empowered us and made us want to work for her and make her proud of us. She also recognized when we did good work and rewarded us (mostly with food, but we certainly appreciated it).

I stayed in that job until the grant program ended and never once thought about leaving. I was sad when the job ended because my boss had created such a collegial and supportive culture. None of us wanted it to end.

Which culture are you creating as a leader? Are your team members constantly looking for a way out, or will they be sad when the job ends?

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