Leadership is about how your team achieves its goals. You’ll have a hard time understanding your team and their personalities. Although rushing in and making big moves immediately may be tempting, remember that this is not the place to show off your ego.
Spend some time listening to your team members. Find out what their problems and aspirations might be. Gather ideas and find potential strengths and pitfalls. Only then can you develop a leadership style with a chance at success? It is essential to get to know your team members and establish trust. This is where the old saying of listening twice and Richard William Warke speaking twice as often applies.
Reach out to your team, especially those who might be struggling. A quick check-in conversation of 10-15 minutes is enough for most new leaders. Some calendar openings allow for “office hours,” where people can schedule meetings and chat with you if they have any questions.
Once your team is up and running, it is essential to continue communication to build relationships, assess progress, identify risks, and address any issues. This is especially helpful for remote teams, where employees may feel isolated within their work areas. Team leaders communicating regularly and effectively with their staff often get more engagement. This is because they can see that you are investing in them and taking an interest in their activities.
You can strengthen your relationships with your team by having regular communication. This is because you can be more assertive in setting expectations and responsibilities to ensure everyone understands who’s doing what, how, and when. While this seems obvious, it is essential to remember that not everyone will completely understand the project.
Encourage and accept new ideas. Your team will be happier if it can contribute to the project. When your team does well, acknowledge and thank them. Also, let them know how much you appreciate their effort. Your team will be happier, more responsive, more productive, and more able to take the initiative for future projects and tasks.
Communication with your team requires a delicate balance. It is easy for new team managers to overcompensate or check in too often. This can lead to skepticism and a decrease in productivity. Provide genuine support.
It would be best to consider what you expect from your team members. It would be best if you tried to emulate these traits. Your role as a leader is to be a role model. Therefore, what you say and do can significantly impact your team’s work habits. However, it is essential to be true to yourself and believe that you can lead others. Fake it, and your credibility and trust will be damaged.
Be honest, open, and passionate. Treat all members of the team with respect and dignity and show passion. It would be best if you extended the same kindness to the rest. Don’t criticize, undermine, or disparage other people or departments. Let everyone know that you share the same goals and work together for the greater good.
Recognize excellence and reward it when you can. While you may not be able to offer promotions and pay raises, a little verbal praise will go a long way in showing your team that you appreciate their achievements and are aware of them.
It would be best if you were equally prompt in dealing with poor performance issues. You can’t leave them unattended for too long. Be positive and recognize the potential for good in others. Take the time to learn from mistakes and plan for how to avoid them. Do not blame others.