I am sure you have heard the saying that leading by example is the way to lead your team to success. However, have you put much thought into what kind of example you are providing for your team? The type of leader that you want to be and the type of leader that you personify could be very different.
In this post, we’re going over 5 key points to consider when trying to improve your leadership skills and elevate your team to a new level!
1 – Honesty
For a team to be functional for the long term it is crucial to have mutual respect. I can’t stress this enough. When a leader acts superior and doesn’t treat the team with equality conflicts start popping up. These conflicts may or may not be explicit. If your team isn’t happy and does not feel mutual respect, they may only be there to collect a paycheck and probably put in minimum efforts.
By creating channels of open communication where your team feels comfortable to speak up, feels their opinions and feedback are respected and appreciated, you are creating a team that has a lot of potential to grow and flourish. People of different backgrounds can bring inputs and solutions you never would have thought of. You need to give them space and a work environment to do so.
Be open about your shortcomings. Your team can’t possibly know what you are struggling with if you don’t let them know. If you want them to step up and tell you what they can help you with your need to be open. We don’t know what we don’t know. You may have a team member that has the skills to help you with your biggest business struggle. Help and support cannot be offered if these conversations are not happening.
2 – Trust
Much like honesty and communication, trust is a two-way street. A good leader inspires the team to work together to achieve goals and improve results. Your team needs to trust that your decisions and instructions are wise and will benefit everyone. You as the leader have to trust that your team is capable and will do their jobs well. If you are stuck micromanaging every step of every team member because of the lack of trust in accountability – you need to make some changes.
In addition to trusting your team and having them trust you, it’s also important that your team members rely on each other. You don’t want your team members to run every question and every small decision through you. Your team members should be able to ask each other for help and collaborate to create desired results without you being involved. Making sure everyone understands each other’s roles and who to ask for help is also part of being a good leader.
To create a cooperative, supportive and happy work environment for your team it’s important to have “water cooler talk”. Encourage and create opportunities for your team to connect on a personal level. Friendships and some “stress relief” help make your team more productive. Especially when you have a remote team you might need to put in some more effort to promote this culture inside your business.
3 – Accountability
Your commitment to your business will show your team how important your business is to you. This will motivate them to be invested in the results and in helping you achieve your goals. You want your team to care about your business, your clients and your growth. It is much easier for them to care if they see you’re in the same boat as they are.
When your team members take ownership of their work they are no longer just checking off boxes. They are focused on creating better results and will see the success of the business as their own success. This means they will be more satisfied and enjoy their work more. This increases the chance that they will stick by your side longer and help you grow and improve your business in the long term.
If you drop a ball or become a bottleneck in your team’s success you need to own it! It will give them the courage to own their mistakes as well. We are all human and we all make mistakes. That’s okay! If you pose as perfect, your team will be afraid to admit their struggles which will only make the errors harder to fix. Let’s be honest, your team knows when you are dropping the ball. You hired smart people. Tasks will be delayed and possible resentment may be created if your team is unable to bring issues to your attention.
4 – Clear expectations
The most effective way to achieve your goals is to make sure they are shared to your team. Your team won’t be able to work together to achieve something if they don’t know what the end result is. The last thing you want is to have different team members working on contradictory goals and bumping heads.
Make sure everybody is clear on their roles and their team members’ roles. Having clear and accessible processes and SOPs is also vital. Your team members need to know what role their tasks play in each process, who is working within each project, what dependencies exist and who they need to talk to if they need help or are waiting on something.
Encourage your team to share their knowledge and support each other. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. The best way to build is strong team is to make sure those strengths and weaknesses are balanced out and that your team members lean on each other to create the best results.
5 – Communication
Communication is one of the most important skills in life and building strong communication within your team is essential. As with everything else, the best way to foster this inside your team is by being the example. Habit 5 from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is to first to understand and then to be understood.
Facilitate opportunities to show your team that you encourage them to speak openly. Sometimes when people work for you, and especially when they are new to the team, they can be afraid to speak up or they may be shy. Make sure to create opportunities and assure them their input is welcome. A great way of doing this is by fostering a culture where everybody is willing to listen and consider each other’s opinions openly and without prejudice.
Communication isn’t always easy and sometimes you have to have difficult conversations. It isn’t always about what you have to say but is more about how you say it. As the leader, you also have to act as a mediator. It’s important to think about how you are going to handle conflict and difficult situations. You need to make sure you are calm and looking for solutions rather than determining a right or wrong side.
How can I help?
I work as a verified consultant for an amazing project management tool called ClickUp. In ClickUp we can create an incredible system for managing your business and your team. This platform provides you and your team with communication tools and the ability to oversee projects while being on the same page with everybody.
Reach out and tell me about your business and discover how I can help you!
