Good leadership is crucial to inspire the team to work towards continuous improvement and greater performance. It motivates the employees to put their best foot forward and achieve their goals no matter what setbacks they might face.
A manager should work towards becoming a self-aware leader who is not just focused on fulfilling the organization’s expectations but also understands the feelings of its employees. It could be as simple as recognizing and appreciating them or identifying what motivates the employees and working towards it.
Here are 8 leadership habits that you must adopt to boost your team’s performance.
1. Listen to what your team has to say
Effective communication contributes significantly to a team’s performance. It keeps everyone on the same page. It helps them to have clarity on the decision-making front as well.
Leaders should make it a point to have regular one-on-one and group discussions to understand everyone’s point of view. They should also have a system where updates are circulated among all team members every step of the way.
2. Avoid reactive temperament
Lashing out at mistakes and blaming the employees for not achieving the desired outcome will only harm your team’s performance and motivation in the long run.
As a leader, instead of reacting to an unfavorable situation, you should focus on the actions that can be taken to undo it or compensate for losses. It enforces a positive work environment where employees are not afraid to make mistakes or intend to hide them. Instead, they are confident enough to ask for help and find a solution.
3. Follow up on your commitments
If you expect your team to complete their deliverables in time, you must keep fulfilling your side of the bargain as well. If you commit to something, make sure you follow it up with actions. It can be as simple as scheduling a meeting and showing up for it or promising a timeline and sticking by it.
4. Address and accept your mistakes
Honesty in a workplace goes a long way.
Most setbacks in a workplace happen when you can’t track what went wrong. Owning a mistake and addressing it in real time is one of the best practices if you wish to maintain an efficient system. But you can’t expect your team to follow it until you practice it yourself.
As a leader, you should be willing to accept your mistakes and address them openly. It will strengthen the trust and faith your team has in you.
5. Take initiative and show active participation in projects
Proactiveness is imperative to good leadership. As a leader, you should be the prime catalyst in driving motivation in your team. You can do so by taking the initiative, indulging in new ideas, and showing an overall active presence in projects.
6. Don’t micromanage
A leader should not indulge in micro-managing their team.
Provide your team with the freedom to work on their own. Intervene only when your team asks for help or when you think it’s unavoidable. Bugging your team with unnecessary and too many questions will consume their time and mind, which they could have used on something substantial.
7. Prioritize- Don’t waste your time on unnecessary tasks
We often get caught up in tasks that are not essential, yet we waste our time because we do not prioritize or rank our tasks in the order they are required to be delivered. So, prioritize what matters and what doesn’t. It will help you delegate the work effectively and get it done in time. It will also help you utilize your team to its maximum potential.
8. Lead by example
The best way to lead a team is to lead by example.
Rather than expecting your team to perform a certain way, you should adopt the working style yourself. When your team sees you following a strategy and succeeding, they intentionally or unintentionally tend to follow it.
So, try to be the change you want to see in your team, and you will achieve the results in no time.
Key takeaways
You, as a leader, should equip your team in a way that they are self-sufficient. You might need to put on more than one hat to do that, but it is vital to reach the top.
Leaders should not limit themselves to management roles because managers get the work done, but they might not be utilizing the full potential of their team. To realize that, you have to step into the shoes of a coach. Don’t know how to be one? Start a 60-day pilot of NumlyEngage™
