“Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.” ~ Warren Bennis
Leaders are dependent upon those whom they lead. The leader’s success will always be measured upon the performance of those they leads.
Leading a group of people and taking them to higher levels of performance is the leader most important calling. Many leaders today are evaluated on their leadership based on how their teams perform with the leader and sometimes in the absence of the leader.
Since the back-bone of leadership is based on the ability to effectively lead any group of persons toward the accomplishment of a single vision, goal, or objective, one of most powerful leadership traits is team leadership.
Team leaders are responsible for much more than simply making their followers feel supported, they also have an enormous impact, be it positive or negative, on the entire team and how it progressed towards its goals.
As leaders, How can we create a culture of team spirit in our organization?
Here are some encouraging insights to share with you and I always welcome your thoughts/suggestions as well.
Walk a mile in their shoes
Walking a mile in their shoes is to encourage a teammate to understand the other person’s own unique responsibilities, pressures, frustrations and aspirations for a better future. When you begin to understand by placing yourself in another person’s life, you make a genuine commitment to relate and empathize with their daily hopes and dreams.
Make an effort today to reach out and hear their pain. Walking a mile in their shoes also helps you as leader to be connected personally to the mission of the organization. Leading by example sets the tone when you walk through the crowd and share the team’s feedback.
Uplift their spirits
When leaders uplift their teams, people are encouraged to grow and contribute. They perform at a higher level, and they use more of their resources in a creative, innovative way. The motivating leader is a people builder who is focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses. Anyone can focus on the negatives, but it takes a leader to bring the light to another person’s life and believe they can be a success.
Recognize the sacrifices they make
As leaders, we need to recognize the sacrifices people make to ignore their personal agendas and work toward the team’s goals. When people recognize the big prize as a team collective effort, we must appreciate them and let them know how much their team spirit makes a positive difference.
Remind them why their work is important
Take the time to share with your team the difference they make through their on-going dedication and commitment. It’s a wonderful opportunity to rally everyone on the vision and communicate help them visualize that they are part of a success story. More importantly, articulate why their story is better as they contribute with their hearts and soul.
Listen intently
Listen with your heart and intently focus on their needs. Great leaders are able to help mold a team synergy as they encourage each person to listen and connect in a meaningful way. We need to set time to meet with each person to engage and appreciate everyone’s perspective.
Share the Burdens
A good team leader will always step in and help to ease the stressful situations for those working under him/her by doing whatever he/she can to make the process easier and simpler for the team – even if that means that he/she must roll up his/her sleeves and jump into the trenches to help out with menial tasks.
Please share your feedback and suggestions to be a better team leader.
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