The success of a team depends a lot on its leader and how he or she manages to bring out the best in each member of the team. Effective leadership is something you should develop in your career, especially if you work in the corporate world. You never know when you are going to be faced with the task of leading a team. And when that moment comes, you want to be as prepared and knowledgeable as you can. If you become a leader that everybody fears, you will never win the respect of your team or manage to build an efficient and successful work environment. And that is why we want to help you out and provide you with a couple of leadership behaviors that will turn you into the best leader a team can hope for.
Best Leadership Behaviors for Success
#You Lead
This may sound like a pretty obvious example, but it is more complex than you’d think. In terms of leadership behaviors that make your team like you, the fact that you show that you are able to lead them is one of the most important ones. But be careful, leading does not mean you will just tell them what they have to do and then wait for the results. You team will never trust a leader who doesn’t put himself in their shoes. How are you going to ask them to do something when you can’t show them that you are willing to do it yourself? It is important to learn how to lead by example. Don’t put yourself on a pedestal and show your employees that you are the same as them, another part of the team.
#You Listen
On the list of great leadership behaviors that employees appreciate, good listening skills are really important. Remember what we’ve mentioned above, you are another part of the team. Which is why you cannot make all the decisions by yourself. It is important to listen to your employees and consider their point of view. We know that sometimes, when you feel pressure coming from everywhere, you might have the tendency to block out some of the suggestions or advice you get. But try to always be open to new perspectives and value your team’s input.
#You Teach
Even if you are indeed a part of the team, you shouldn’t forget that you are also its leader. Which means that you were chosen to be a leader because you have some relevant skills that you could teach your team. So that is exactly what you have to do. Most often than not, the team members are really excited and determined to learn new things from their leader. One of the best things you could do to make sure you bring your team on the path to success is use your experience and teach them what you know.
#You Communicate
Communication is a really important side of some of the best leadership behaviors out there. Don’t keep professional secrets from your team members. Even if you may come off as brutally honest, it is better than leaving everything up for assumptions. Usually, the assumptions are much worse than the truth. And don’t worry, your employees will definitely appreciate your honesty and ability to communicate. Even when there’s something you can’t fully share with them yet, give them the details you can, and they will at least know what to expect.
#You Admit Your Mistakes
No leader is perfect, that’s for sure. We all make mistakes, and we have to learn how to admit it and deal with them. If you admit that you were wrong in front of your employees, this will only make you stronger in their eyes, since they all know how hard it can be sometimes to admit you made a mistake. If you keep it from them and they find out after a while, they will lose trust in you and respect you less for not owning up to it.
#You Don’t Act Like You Know Everything
In terms of important leadership behaviors, always remember this one. That is why you have a team that you are leading, because you can’t possibly know it all or take care of everything by yourself. And usually, the team members have different skills that complete each other. This is how the team works like a well-oiled machine. Your employees won’t appreciate you if you are stubborn and act like everything they do, you can do better. Instead of being that type of leader, ask for their help constantly. It will make them feel valued and create a positive work environment.
#You Don’t Break Your Promises
One of the biggest mistakes you could make as a leader is to promise something or commit to something in front of your team and then not follow through. Even if you made an impulsive promise and you later realize that it might disadvantage you in some way, if it is not really serious, you should still keep your word. And if there are circumstances that you can’t control, always explain that to your team. They will understand.
#You Treat Everyone with Respect
First of all, you have to understand that if you are a team leader, that never means that you should treat the team members with lack of respect. Even if you have to assign them tasks and deadlines, you have to do it professionally and respectfully. Don’t expect them to respect you, if you don’t respect them. Another key word here is “everyone”, which brings us to our next point on the leadership behaviors list: everybody is equal.
#You Treat Everybody the Same
Never ever try to play favorites when you are a team leader. Your employees will never be able to trust you if they see that you encourage and reward people based on some personal preference, rather than merit. You should expect the same things from everyone, and react the same way whether they accomplish their tasks or not. And don’t think that if you play favorites in secret, the rest of the team members won’t find out. That is an unrealistic expectation, and it will damage your credibility and the effectiveness of the team as a whole.
#You Trust Your Team
Trust is another important part of the guide to great leadership behaviors. As in the case of respect, if you don’t show them you trust them, don’t expect them to trust you. They are a team of professionals, and they should be trusted to make their own decisions when the time is right, and go through with their tasks. Moreover, when they accomplish something, make sure you show them how much you appreciate it. It will work wonders for a great professional relationship.
#You Are Consistent
Maybe you’re wondering what that means. Basically, it means that you will establish a certain type of leadership at the beginning and then stick with it for the rest of your collaboration with this team. Inconsistency will lead to distrust, uncertainty, and even negative emotions such as anger or frustration. How do you expect your team to accomplish their tasks successfully, if you are not able to provide clear and consistent directions? Even more so, your general behavior should also be consistent, and your expectations as well.
#You Ask for Feedback
Feedback is a good way to make sure you are doing a good job, which is why you should include it in your great leadership behaviors list. As we’ve already established, nobody is perfect. Which means that you could always benefit from some advice from the people you work with. Ask them what you could improve in your leadership style and insist that they should be honest. This might be a little bit difficult at the beginning, but you can expect them to be honest once you show them that you are able to accept constructive criticism and incorporate it in your work. Thank them for their contribution, and they will come to you every time they feel like something is bothering them.
#You Put the Team First
As a team leader, your concern should be the success of your team as a whole (team that you are also part of), and not your person success. Because if the team succeeds, you have succeeded as well. You can never expect your employees to perform at their maximum capacity in order to help you achieve your goals. But if they notice that you are always thinking about the team, they will be determined to make you proud.
Everything Summed up
Great leaders are the engine that makes a team work. They are responsible for the success or failure of the team, and that is why they should do their best to lead the others (and themselves) to success. There are a lot of leadership behaviors that people seem to appreciate, from trust, to communication, respect, consistency, feedback, and so on. So if you want to be the best leader your team has ever had, make sure to check our guide to great leadership behaviors and apply these attitudes in your daily work.
