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Entity explains how you can be a kick ass boss to your male employees.

After years of proving yourself, you finally get the opportunity to manage your own team. And as much as you want to show your new crew that you’re a cool boss, the thought of your male employees expecting you to fail has you thinking about leaning in and establishing your status right away.

Turns out, they already know you’re the manager and most of all, they aren’t expecting you to fail. If anything, they are expecting you to lead.

So, how do you show your team that you’re a legit boss without joining the boy’s club and conforming to the male-dominated norms of business?

1 ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A WOMAN.

You don’t have to be an executive like Gordon Ramsay in order to light a fire under your team and boost their work production. As a woman, you’ve been gifted with the skills of communication, cooperation and motivation. So use them. You’ll be far more effective than if you tried to gain their respect by cussing the team out or trying to induce fear into them.

By utilizing these woman-like skills, you’ll actually be a better leader for it. According to B.J. Gallagher, author of “The World’s Best Advice from the World’s Wisest Women,” “Women make great bosses because they are better listeners, mentors, problem solvers, coachers and multi-taskers,” as reported in NY Daily News.  Therefore, don’t be afraid to act and think like a woman.

2 BE DIRECT.

Not acting like a man doesn’t mean you should avoid communicating with male staff on a level they are comfortable with. You should always be direct and honest with your male employees. You don’t have to be overly nice, but address them in a way that isn’t confrontational and emasculating.

This carries over from the previous section, as well. Just because some male leaders have chosen to demean employees as a motivational tool, doesn’t mean that you have to. Now that you’re in a position of power, take this opportunity to give your employees the respect you’ve craved in their position. Don’t reverse the roles, and utilize your influence to unnecessarily treat the men in the office as poorly as women may be treated in the world of business.

A cheap shot like, “Mike, you should do your presentation like John’s. His was great!” is not only undermining, but also vague. Be straightforward and say, “The graph you did in your presentation made the content easier to understand. Next time, can you make sure to include a summary at the end?”

Remember, you want your team to prosper, no matter if they’re a male or female. Their success is your success.

3 BEING FAIR DOESN’T MEAN BEING EQUAL.

By the time you’ve reached your role as manager, you’ve probably undergone a good deal of gender inequality that you either a) want to make sure you treat everyone the same or b) want to make exceptions for the females, because you know their struggle. But both of these are big mistakes.

Treat each person with fairness and don’t let your past experiences fog your leadership. Consider how every subordinate works and what will be best for him or her to succeed. By avoiding bias and self-interest, you’ll gain your team’s respect and loyalty.

There is no doubt about that supervising a team is tough. It might seem even tougher when you’re a woman leading a bunch of men. But it really doesn’t have to be. Taking yourself out of the picture and understanding what communication and work styles function best with each employee will make you and your team unstoppable.

Edited by Saeli Eshelman
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