Halloween is tomorrow! Whether you’re going to a party or have kids you have to rope into their costumes and smear oily paint across their faces, Halloween is a holiday you shouldn’t be sleeping on. Halloween, like pretty much all social holidays, also has some crossover lessons with how to be a good leader.
Personally, it’s my favorite holiday!
I love to dress up and I love clothes, so Halloween is just an excuse to be as extra as possible and wear that tutu. This was also a great excuse to shove as many bad Halloween puns as possible into one document and claim some level of seasonal fun because I’m too broke to actually go out and celebrate Halloween this year.
RIP me and RIP to seeing everyone’s couples’ costumes on Facebook.
1. Choose Your Costume Carefully
Give your team members pumpkin to talk about! You need to choose the masks you wear carefully at work. We all have different performances we put on in different environments, but your business persona should be a professional, polished version of your true self. No one likes someone who’s obviously hiding behind a mask and lies to your face, but it’s equally not appropriate to tell your team members about your frat escapades in college over the punch bowl.
2. Get Creative With Leadership! Don’t conform!
As a leader, you should encourage creativity and personal opinions by nurturing a safe work environment for everyone. Give everyone the chance to be the Hallow-queen. Lift everyone’s spirits so that their ideas can shine. Let’s face it, it’s hella boring if everyone goes to the costume party as a sexy cat or a sheet ghost. Maybe, the best idea was combining those all along and going as a sexy sheet ghost? Who knows! But as a leader, you should reward creativity with positive reinforcement.
3. Sweets are good in moderation
Not only do you gotta trick or treat yo self, but you gotta provide some incentives for your team members too. That being said, incentives shouldn’t be your main motivation. Using pay increases and bonuses doesn’t really help with employee turnover rates, unfortunately. Instead, the best sweet of all is providing a comfortable work environment and ensuring that everyone thinks their work is meaningful and rewarding. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
4. Don’t be a Jerk-O-Lantern
Let’s talk office atmosphere. You gotta let all your little ghouls speak, right? So, make sure you create an environment where they are comfortable with doing so. Try to make yourself as approachable as possible.
5. Communicate With Your Team
Sometimes, there’s nothing better in a team environment than a team leader just asking another “Howl you doin’?” Host a 1 on 1 to check up on team members to see what’s going on in their lives. A lot of the time, success or failure comes from external factors outside the workplace. Being an empathetic leader will improve workplace communication and more will be willing to discuss their shortcomings as well as their achievements.
Many scholars have emphasized just how important communication is in the workplace. These include Management professor Raed Awamleh & leadership expert William L. Gardner (1999).