As one of Sacramento’s most experienced staffing agencies, Pacific Staffing knows that your team’s performance hinges on your success as a leader. And if the results haven’t been up to par lately, it could be an indication your leadership skills need some work. How can you tell for sure? Here are a few signs to look out for:

Sign #1: You make well-intentioned promises, but have a hard time keeping them.

This doesn’t mean you don’t want to or didn’t intend to keep your promises. However, it may simply mean you don’t have the resources and support in place to follow through on promises made. In the future, before you offer any guarantees to your employees, step back from the situation long enough to assess whether or not you can realistically make a promise happen.

Sign #2: You don’t know what makes your employees tick.

If your employees seem to be lacking in the motivation department, it can be a frustrating situation for you. However, in order to effectively lead others, you need to understand what motivates and inspires each person on your team. Financial incentives resonate with some, while others place a higher premium on regular praise and recognition, or perks like flexible schedules. As a boss, it’s up to you to avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach to leading your employees and find out what motivates and inspires each one individually.

Sign #3: Your life lacks balance.

When you’re the head of the team, it’s easy to put yourself last. As a result, taking care of yourself – eating well, getting enough rest and exercise, spending time with family and friends – often isn’t a priority. But not only are you setting a poor example for your employees when your life is out of balance, it’s also going to hurt you in the long run. Soon enough, you won’t have the energy it takes to lead your team.

Sign #4: Your employees get quiet when you’re around.

The minute you step into a room, your employees stop talking and the room turns silent. This could be a sign that your employee fear rather than respect you. But strong teams are not built on a foundation of fear; rather they’re built on a foundation of mutual respect and trust.

Sign #5: You do all or most of the talking at meetings.

It’s perfectly acceptable to do all or most of the talking if you’ve got a big announcement to make or there’s an important new company policy change to communicate. However, if you’re regularly doing most of the talking at staff meetings, then it could be a sign your people are afraid to speak up or don’t think you’ll welcome their input. But meetings should be the very place you’re trying to gather feedback and new ideas, and open yourself up to different ways of thinking. As a result, your employees should be doing most of the talking, not you.

All that said, your leadership challenges may simply be due to not having the right people in the right positions at your company. If that’s the case for you, the experts at Pacific Staffing can help. As one of Sacramento’s most experienced staffing agencies, we can deliver talented candidates on a short- or long-term basis, or help you fill full-time roles. Hire better, drive down costs and increase productivity while staying focused on business goals. Contact Pacific Staffing to learn more.