Kick-Ass Strategies for Building a Kick-Ass Team
Leading a team is no easy effort! There are a multitude of factors that make your role as a leader challenging.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you see that your team isn’t showing the skills and strengths you thought they had. You might even spend time wondering if you hired the right people. Heck, sometimes you inherit team members and have to make do with who you have.
But before you take any dramatic actions, you owe it to yourself and your team to assess the effectiveness of your own role. Yes, that means taking a look in the mirror and getting honest. Are you being the best team leader you can be?
Perhaps a new approach in your management could drastically change your team’s results!
A key concept that many team leaders miss is that you have to be ready to be the team! You have to be willing to be the example you want your team to follow. READ: Lead by example. There’s no doubt you know what you want from the team members – now it’s time to show them. The manager/employee relationship does not and should not be dictatorial. It should be exemplary.
Signals That Team Members Look For
If you’re not at the top of the food chain, you’re likely looking for guidance from above. Teams function the same way. There’s an unspoken expectation that you, as a manager, can and will guide employees in the right direction. But this doesn’t mean doing their job for them.
Display these foundational concepts
to lead your team to the top:
- Willingness to involve. The first thing your workforce will look for is how inclined you are to include them in matters related to the operation of the business.
- Team members like to know that their input is appreciated. It encourages them to embrace the idea of being part of the team.
- By allowing and encouraging your employees to become apart of the process rather than simply the result of it, you can establish a sense of investment and pride amongst the ranks.
- Abide by your own rules. Another signal that team members pay keen attention to is whether you spit out directives but follow your own agenda when it comes adhering to policy. In other words, don’t be a hypocrite!
- If you want and expect compliance in specific areas from the team, you must be prepared to follow suit. That whole “Do as I say, not as I do,“ bullshit ain’t gonna fly. Hold yourself to the same expectations and standards as you ask of others.
- Loyalty. Whether the team you’re leading is a football team, company department, or an entire organization, your team will rely on you to show how loyal you are to the cause and to them.
- If you’re not in agreement with every policy that’s in place, it’s important to avoid expressing such disagreement in the presence of your workforce. Maintain a positive outlook on the organization even if you’re not necessarily happy with your circumstances.
- Keep leadership discussions among leaders. It is key for employees to have confidence in their management. Do not undermine your counterparts (or your company) by devolving unfiltered conversations best intended for your peers.
- Recognition of contribution. There’s nothing team members like better than being recognized for their contribution to the success of the team. Give your team members your sincerity and your appreciation.
- When they see that they are valued, your team members will step up their efforts strive for excellence.
- By making each member feel important, you’ll have everyone on the team performing at a higher level, resulting in greater success for your team.
- Value their point of view. One of the best ways to get the kind of results you want from your team is to really get down to their level. Have consideration for their perspective and the things that make them tick.
- Remember, you are not a manager so you can do their job. You are a manager to help your team members do their job as best they can. What better way to understand that, than by embracing their perspective?
- The sooner you embrace their viewpoint and show that it’s a welcome part of the organization, the sooner you’ll be able to build an effective workforce built on communication.
Find ways to leverage these strategies daily and inspire your team. They’ll be motivated to work harder, communicate better, and rise to the occasion when opportunity comes along.
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