Do you ever feel like your team could be performing better, but you need to figure out how to get them there? Are you looking for a way to create an environment of success and excellence without any additional stress added to their existing workload? It may come as a surprise, but there are no great teams without great leaders. Through their words, behaviours and attitudes, leaders can transform their employees’ output and shape their organisation’s culture. In this blog post, we’ll explore how strong leadership can lead to successful teams and why there are no bad teams, only bad leaders.

BELIEVE: Leaders must have a clear vision and be able to articulate it in a way that employees can understand.

A leader with a strong commitment to the project they are proposing is seen as much more inspiring and trustworthy by their employees. This leader’s internal knowledge of what success looks like and how to achieve it instils in their team a shared sense of purpose and understanding of the timeline for completion. This leader, who clearly believes in the importance of their project, encourages others to commit, challenge assumptions, and take risks in order to execute their goal. An enthusiastic leader is the most powerful asset a team can have when confronting any kind of challenge or obstacle along the way

Actions:

• Make plans concise and easy to follow.
• Know your “Why” and ask questions until you understand, “why are we doing this?”
• Leaders must explain the big picture “why” to teammates and make sure they understand it.
• Goals must be part of a larger strategy shared company wide.

CONNECT: Leaders must be able to maintain a positive attitude and set the tone for the workplace.

Establishing a positive work environment is essential for any organisation, and setting the tone starts with the leader. Leaders must be able to maintain a cheerful and optimistic outlook even in difficult situations, inspiring employees to stay motivated and productive. By creating an atmosphere of positivity in the workplace, employees can look forward to going to work knowing their contributions will be acknowledged, pushing them to do better. A leader’s attitude can make or break a team, so they must actively demonstrate their appreciation for employees’ efforts and make sure everyone feels respected in order for employees to achieve success.

Actions

• Be humble – own your mistakes
• Never point fingers – when your team has an issue, help them develop a plan to overcome it.
• The team comes before personal success.
• Don’t let past success prevent you from uncovering weaknesses and making plans to improve.

CARE: Leaders must be able to motivate their employees through empathy, encouragement, and support

A successful leader must be able to leverage the strengths of their employees by providing the necessary motivation, empathy, encouragement and support that employees need in order to reach their full potential. Leaders must recognise employees’ individual needs and create a fostering environment where employees can learn, grow, and develop. Empathy is a powerful tool for any leader striving to bridge gaps between employees in the workplace by proactively addressing issues related to inequity, inequality and respect. Encouragement should be given to employees for their achievements as well as for their efforts. Support is essential for employees which allows them to build up their confidence through challenges as well as during difficult transitions. Adopting these leadership traits helps an organisation prosper on multiple levels by creating positive relationships leading to better collaborations, growth opportunities, and team performance.

Actions:

• Be an active listener – Practicing active listening enables leaders to better understand employees’ needs and concerns on both a professional and personal level
• Recognise hard work – Acknowledging employees’ hard work communicates appreciation for their efforts.
• Invest in employee development by identifying strengths and creating opportunities that cultivate trust and respect.

PRIORITISE: Leaders must be able to prioritise and execute well-thought-out plans

Leaders within a company have the responsibility of setting both short and long-term goals, as well as making sure employees are equipped to reach them. In order to successfully prioritise tasks, it is essential that leaders invest time into researching, planning and organising plans of action. When employees feel like they are being listened to and the plan is reasonable and achievable, they are motivated to put in the necessary hard work and commitment in order to get the job done. To be an effective leader, one must remain focused on their primary objectives while remembering employees are critical for succeeding long-term. Having a clear vision coupled with excellent execution can create a positive momentum for all employees which should be at the forefront of any successful leader’s goals.

Actions:

• When overwhelmed, take a step back to identify priorities.
• Plan for contingencies. This helps map out likely challenges that could arise and plan a response to them.
• Let subordinate leaders own and prioritise their efforts.

OWN IT: Leaders must model the behaviours they expect from their employees

As a leader, employees take their cues from you. To help employees develop and be successful within the organisation, it is essential to ‘walk the walk’. Rather than just relying on verbal communication, leaders must lead by example in order to set employees up for success. When employees see their managers actively living out the values expected of them on the job, they are more likely to mirror that behaviour. Modelling these standards ensures employees are able to retain focus on what needs to be done while still having an understanding of how it should look in action. Therefore, effective leaders understand that modelling behaviours expected of employees are a major ingredient when striving for success.

Actions:

• Lead with integrity and by being honest in all interactions and communications.
• Being prepared, organised and confident when addressing employees is essential in displaying assurance that employees can trust.
• Show humility in leadership roles demonstrates to employees that no one is above learning, understanding new perspectives or admitting mistakes.

If you want to be an effective leader and motivate your employees, remember to BELIEVE in your vision, CONNECT with them on a personal level, CARE for their wellbeing, PRIORITISE their needs and OWN your mistakes. At Uplift Recruitment, we love working with leaders who exhibit these traits. And if you’re looking for a new opportunity where you can lead and inspire others, send us your CV. We’d love to hear from you.