Taking on leadership roles can be a tricky one. Not anyone can climb into the managerial role and lead a team to greatness. I feel leaders themselves should have strong values, ethics, and morals in order to get the best out of their team. They should also have goals to aim for, where they currently are, and how to fill the gap in between.
First, strong leadership is paramount in the workplace. I believe it sets the culture and the standards that are expected of others, and this helps in achieving the overall goals of the organisation.
This strong leadership doesn’t require micromanaging either, but rather trust and the expectation that team members can achieve their goals. I consider being a strong leader doesn’t necessarily mean being controlling or ‘in-charge’ of those under you. Rather, it’s about setting clearly defined standards of expectations around performance and team culture.
This also includes demonstrating accountability, transparency, and consistency around daily management practices, and providing a genuinely supported environment for others to perform at their best in. Critically, this also means I implement regular behaviours and practices for myself which ensure capability, and clarity of direction as a flow on effect.
I find there are 5 ways to motivate and grow your team. Whether long or short, the goal is to make enough time to allow your team to bond.
Self-Development
Self-development is a lifelong process and one that can richly benefit the individual and the workplace at large. Leaders may consider wanting to invest time in mentorship and coaching as they need tools to learn how to mentor and coach colleagues.
It’s important that leaders set aside time in the week to focus on their goals and achievements. This time can also be spent learning something new or planning for the upcoming week.
I believe self-development is an ongoing and incredibly vital element of being a successful leader. By adopting a growth mindset and implementing an attitude of continuous improvement, you will ensure that they continue to build the skills to allow them to become most effective in their roles.
Everything from managing individuals, flexibility in adapting to change in the working environment, executing the work that is assigned to them, and perhaps most importantly; their function of supporting and developing others to perform better as a whole, all play a bigger part in the overall performance of the company.
Team Development
While I feel self-development is very important, team development is just as important to focus on. There are a few ways of achieving this, and they don’t have to include setting aside 10 minutes to check in with the team or by motivating and moulding teams through team development activities.
Team development is something I am passionate about and bringing out the best in others and helping them reach their highest potential is something I have always strived toward.
Leaders can achieve this is by identifying strengths in the team, and where there is room to improve.
My approach has always been to initially understand the motivations and core values of individuals and how they fit within the broader team and company vision at large. Following this, identifying where their strengths and areas for improvement lie, then working with them to understand where and how they want to grow as an individual both personally and professionally and empowering them with the tools and space to do this helps set the groundwork for a motivated and empowered employee.
As a part of a broader team, you should encourage collaboration, ideation and ownership of work initiatives creates buy-in and alignment of individuals with a higher purpose, and an impetus to improve and perform as a team.
Innovation
Technology is fast developing, and today’s marketplace is fiercely competitive, so innovation should be a company’s priority.
For leaders, this could be finding that they’re stuck in a rut as they perform everyday responsibilities. This is a natural result of habit, and a way to break out of this is through innovation. This is a great way to change things up and be open to new ideas. Leaders can set an example for the rest of the team by starting with themselves. This could be something like attempting something new every week, whether it’s an idea or process.
Building Trust
Trust is a vital issue in the workplace as it affects team development.
You should build rapport with their team members as its more likely that ideas will be shared, and collaboration runs effectively. A number of ways I achieve this is by listening when team members speak, act on feedback, be honest and supportive, as well as being consistent with what is promised.
Recognise that building trust isn’t an overnight success. It takes time, and leaders who want to achieve the best results from their team members, need to invest in that time.
Work-in-Progress Meetings
One of the regularly scheduled gatherings I conduct is for work-in-progress meetings (WIP).
This is where the colleagues can construct, workshop, and criticise and build upon projects. Scheduling regular WIP is handy as they establish accountability and deadlines for team members to stay on track. Going into a WIP, team members should be respectful to one another’s ideas, and be open to feedback and change.
