Set clear boundaries
As Forbes states, friendship, humour and the personal approach at the workplace have their limits. In order for employees to feel comfortable at work and know what the limits are when communicating with you and their colleagues, you must set clear boundaries that will prevent any misunderstandings from occurring.
Be honest with your employees
First of all, you must be honest with your employees and not try to pretend anything. Do not attempt to be someone you are not; just be your true self (of course, within certain limits). People can easily sense if someone is pretentious, and if you want to earn the respect of your team members, they need to see you are not pretending anything.
Admit to your own mistakes
A likeable trait that will make others see you as an authentic human being is the ability to admit making a mistake. Do not try to be an unerring genius, face up to your own mistakes and use them as an opportunity to show your employees how mistakes can be used in a constructive way.
Keep calm even in critical situations
We tend to base our decisions on intuition and emotions, especially in stressful and mentally challenging situations. A good leader, however, should always be able to keep their cool and acquire the natural respect of subordinates by making rational decision at all times.
Do not try to be friends with everybody at all costs
It is only natural that some people just do not get along on a personal level. Don't worry if you fail to establish friendly relations on a personal level with some of your employees. Just be professional, and do not try too hard to be liked by each and every one of your team members.
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