Business

6 Tips to Help Managers Become Leaders

Published

4 years ago

February 19, 2022

You might be a good manager if you have the right skills, but it is hard to wear leadership shoes when your feet don’t fit. Many managers are in for a rude awakening as they learn how difficult it can be to become a leader. Managing people is not easy, and even worse, it’s not always fun.

You need to stay focused on the job at hand, yet that requires taking time away from it. It also means being willing to make unpopular decisions and face backlash from those they impact. This is especially true if you’re leading a team or department of employees.

The Difference Between Managers and Leaders

Managing others isn’t about doing their jobs well; it’s about helping them do theirs better. If you want to be a great manager, you must understand that the best leaders don’t necessarily know the most about what needs to get done.

Instead, they are the ones who inspire others to work harder, faster, smarter, and more creatively than ever before. They are the ones who can make the tough calls when everyone else is paralyzed by fear or doubt. They take action when no one else dares to move forward.

Here Are Six Tips For Becoming A Great Leader

1. Be Honest With Yourself

It’s easy to tell other people how things should be done, but you’ll never be able to lead effectively if you can’t admit your weaknesses. It’s not enough to say, “I’m too busy,” or, “The project just doesn’t seem important.”

No matter how much you want to delegate responsibility, you will always be responsible for making sure everything gets done. And, as the leader, you need to be honest with yourself about whether you’re really up to the task. Are you delegating because you don’t have time to handle it? Or, are you afraid of failure? Leaders who are willing to take risks, even if they fail, are the ones who get things done.

2. Ask For Feedback

If you want to improve, you need to ask for feedback. You might think it’s an inconvenience, but you’d be surprised at how often people will offer constructive criticism if you ask. Even better, it will help you grow personally, so it’s worth putting in the effort.

3. Set The Example

People follow leaders, not bosses. You need to model the behavior you expect from your team members. If you want them to act professionally, you must act professionally. This includes things like arriving early and staying late.

4. Keep Your Priorities Straight

Being a leader means knowing where you’re headed and having the confidence to take action. If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t get there. That’s why it’s essential to keep track of all the tasks, projects, and goals you have on the go. Having a clear vision helps you avoid getting distracted by urgent items and focus on the important stuff.

5. Take Responsibility

A great leader takes accountability for their mistakes, accepts responsibility for the consequences, and never blames others. A good leader knows that everyone makes mistakes, but they also know that learning from them is part of the process.

6. Learns and Develops Skills

Leaders are constantly growing. They learn new skills, take on new challenges, and work hard to improve themselves. If you want to become a great leader, you need to do the same. Learning is the key to growth and helps you adapt to change.

How Can A Leadership Coach Help

As a manager, you already know the importance of being open and honest with your team members. But there are many ways you can coach them to become better leaders themselves. One of the best ways to do this is through mentoring programs, which pair experienced leaders with less-experienced ones.

These programs can help develop your protégés into future leaders. Another way to support your team is by teaching them to lead by example. When you take on a leadership role, you have to be willing to sacrifice your comfort for the organization’s benefit.

Coaches like Stavros Baroutas help managers become influential leaders. The Stavros Baroutas Android Application offers a fresh look at personal development with interactive coaching features and a goal-oriented approach. This app’s daily videos and podcasts will help you achieve your goals. After viewing these videos, you’ll have a different perspective on life because they’re so transformational!

How Can You Start Working On Your Leadership Skills

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for becoming a great leader. You need to find the path that works best for you. However, some common traits are necessary for success regardless of the method you choose.

You need to be self-aware, disciplined, and comfortable making unpopular decisions. You also need to be willing to take risks and accept responsibility for the consequences. To succeed as a leader, you must first recognize that you’re a leader.

You must then commit to the journey, and you must be willing to put in the work. Finally, you need to believe in yourself and your ability to make a difference.

Final Words

Leaders are constantly under pressure. As the leader, you need to balance the needs of your team members with the needs of the company. This means making tough decisions, sometimes without consulting anyone else. It’s not always easy, but if you’re committed to leading, you need to embrace the challenges. Once you’ve made it to the top, you’ll discover that the rewards are far greater than the stress.

Business

Why Multi-Province Payroll Compliance Is the Hidden Challenge Canadian SMBs Face and How Folks Solves It

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Photo courtesy of: Folks

Byline: Shem Albert

Running payroll in Canada can feel like crossing a country stitched from many different fabrics. Each province weaves its own pattern of tax rules, leave policies, and benefit requirements, creating a landscape where a single misstep can ripple through every paycheck. For small and mid-sized businesses, the challenge often remains hidden until growth pushes hiring beyond provincial borders or brings remote workers into the fold. What seems like a routine back-office task quickly becomes a test of accuracy, timing, and local knowledge. This is the gap that Folks set out to close, offering a way for employers to navigate Canada’s regulatory patchwork without slowing their momentum.

Provincial Rules Add Complexity

Canada’s payroll environment varies sharply by province. Federal rules set the foundation, but provincial tax rates, deductions, statutory leave entitlements, and benefit premiums add layers of complexity that employers must monitor carefully. Small and mid-sized businesses with staff across provinces or remote employees face different tax tables, reporting deadlines, and leave calculations that directly affect pay accuracy and remittance schedules.

Folks built its payroll module to address these differences. The platform calculates the correct provincial tax rates and deductions for each employee, applying updates automatically so employers avoid misapplied withholdings or late filings. Multi-location tax management allows a company with workers in Ontario, Quebec, or several other provinces to process payroll without creating separate accounts for each jurisdiction. Bilingual functionality in English and French and secure Canadian data hosting support compliance while keeping employee records accessible across language and regional boundaries.

Unified Records Improve Accuracy

Payroll errors often stem from mismatched employee data. Changes in pay rates, banking details, or benefits eligibility may not align between HR and finance systems, creating incorrect deductions or delayed payments. Smaller teams juggling separate platforms spend valuable hours reconciling information instead of focusing on strategic work.

Folks resolves these issues by combining HR and payroll in one platform. Updates to wages, hours, or tax information entered on the HR side flow directly into payroll without re-entry. This single, verified record strengthens the accuracy of every payroll run and ensures employees receive the correct pay and deductions. By removing the need for repetitive administrative work, HR staff can redirect their time to tasks that support growth and employee engagement.

Automation Keeps Provinces in Step

Each province sets its own requirements for holiday pay, pay frequency, and statutory benefits, making manual calculations both time-consuming and error-prone. Businesses that expand or hire remote employees must keep pace with shifting provincial regulations or risk penalties and audit issues.

Folks address these demands with automation designed for Canada’s regulatory landscape. Pay statements, deduction calculations, and custom pay schedules follow the applicable provincial rules without extra configuration. The system’s automated updates mean that a company hiring staff in British Columbia or Quebec can meet local payroll standards without adding new layers of setup or monitoring. Employers gain the ability to expand into new regions while maintaining accurate, on-time pay.

Reporting Strengthens Compliance

Changing tax rates and reporting requirements require ongoing attention from HR and finance teams. Companies that rely on disconnected systems risk missing a provincial update or submitting incorrect remittances, which can lead to fines and interest charges.

Folks provides detailed reporting tools that compile payroll, deductions, and benefits information across all locations. Employers can generate clear remittance and deduction summaries, simplifying the process of meeting provincial filing requirements. For organizations that want additional guidance, Folks also offers a payroll management service that brings in-house specialists to assist with configuration, compliance, and regular updates. These reporting features help companies stay audit-ready and avoid costly compliance gaps.

Scalable Payroll for Expanding Businesses

Many small businesses begin in a single province, where local tax and payroll demands can be learned over time. Growth into new provinces or the decision to hire remote staff adds a level of complexity that manual processes cannot handle efficiently. Errors multiply, compliance risks rise, and payroll teams spend more time correcting mistakes than supporting expansion plans.

Folks provides payroll that scales with company growth. Provincial tax logic, automated deductions, bilingual support, and secure Canadian data storage are built directly into the platform. By maintaining an accurate employee record and applying province-specific rules automatically, the system allows Canadian SMBs to expand with fewer administrative surprises and more predictable payroll operations. Companies gain the stability of compliant payroll across provinces while controlling the time and costs that typically accompany multi-jurisdiction growth.