If you are in a management or leadership role, your style significantly influences your team. Being focused, prepared, thorough, transparent, flexible, and innovative all trickles down to how you are perceived by your team. Here are some things to keep in mind to lead a team effectively:
1. Hire the right people
It might seem obvious, but a great team starts with great people. When hiring, think about your existing team, how they work and the company culture. Finding a candidate who not only has excellent work experience, but is also a great fit with the rest of the team, is a crucial start.
2. Keep inspiring
It’s important to keep the creativity flowing. The more you create an environment that promotes innovation and new ideas the better. Employees want to work in an environment where new, fresh ideas are encouraged, pushing them forward in their career.
3. Help your team stay focused
It’s important that you have clear goals and a workflow outlined for your team. Ensuring that your team understands their long-term priorities and day-to-day activities will help with maximizing their productivity.
4. Don't neglect their personal life
A good work-life balance can make or break someone’s attitude, drive and performance. Supporting a healthy balance with their personal life, including support for their professional goals, helps foster a more dedicated team.
5. Lead by example
If you want your team to work and act a certain way, you need to exemplify those values yourself. Your team should see you as a polite, attentive and thorough worker yourself. If they see you slacking off, being rude and ignoring your responsibilities, they might feel that it is appropriate for them to do so as well. Demonstrating those core values to your team is the best way to get them motivated and on the right track.
6. Treat your employees with respect
This is fundamental to effectively leading a team; they need to know that you respect them. The tone of voice and language you use when you speak to your team, really listening to your team when they’re speaking to you, how you deliver criticism, and your body language are all indicators of respect. Be polite, kind and professional when communicating with your team.
