Being promoted into a management position is not enough to make you a good leader — it requires hard work to get there. Babita Mathur-Helm, a senior lecturer in organisational transformation and development at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, says: "Most managers are ineffective leaders, which results in unhappy employees and frequent staff turnover. They often fail in their role because they see themselves as the authority, with misconceptions about what it means to be a boss." Bad bosses tend to favour processes, stability and control, and want to resolve problems quickly before getting a full understanding of what is wrong. Leaders "are willing to delay closure in order to understand the issues more fully", she says. She has the following advice: Being the manager is not about doing everything on your own; Understand the dynamics of your organisation and build relationships to help you to do your job better; Allow each team member to contribute according to their s...
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