Retail leaders can wear a ton of hats on any given day. A grocery store manager may be stocking shelves, or checking out customers. You might find the manager of a small clothing store putting away clothes from the dressing rooms or cleaning the toilets. Even with all of the tasks to do daily, there are some clear qualities that are common among really great managers.

1. Provides training and instruction to employees.
2. Motivates, praises, rewards and offers constructive criticism.
3. Leads by example
4. Has awesome communication skills
5. Seeks information and opinions from everyone on the team, using this information to make decisions.
6. While making efforts to achieve the stores goals, the manager also makes sure everyone is satisfied in their work and work well together.

Transformational leadership involves helping employees to work to the betterment of the group. This can be a helpful style when a manager is trying to turn around a poor-performing business. The manager may try to generate excitement to get the employees on board for change and growing the business!

There are situations for various styles of leadership in different situations. An effective manager knows when to use the autocratic style (makes the decision) and  the democratic style (engages the team before deciding).

You can view the transcript for “Retail Store Management Lessons” (opens in new window).