Supervising: Born with the skill? You decide!

Supervising people is not an easy task. The best supervisors know it takes time, dedication and continuous learning to build those skills. Some will argue you either got it or you don’t – we are born natural leaders. And if you aren’t a natural leader, you cannot become an effective leader. “They” may be right … I believe it’s more likely they aren’t. Making the distinction between someone with the gift to gab versus someone who can gab while motivating the masses and achieve their goals – that’s the real talent.

Let’s take a moment and think about the supervisors you have worked with over the years. The supervisors that you considered to be good and inspired you to want to work for them … what made them stand out? What did they do differently from those supervisors who didn’t motivate you? Did they encourage or discourage you?

Some of my favourite colleagues are who I consider to be the best supervisors / managers or leaders. Not because they can gab, although they can. Not because they are comfortable in front a large crowd, although they are. It’s because even when they interact with people they ensure anyone they feel they matter – that they are important.

Whether you believe you are born with the supervising talent or you need to constantly build on it – be the best supervisor you can be. Don’t be afraid to continue to encourage your employees to continue building their skills and more importantly be humble enough to want to continue building your own!

Kelly Henderson
Executive Director
Trucking Human Resources Sector Council Atlantic