1)Honesty
Whatever
ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of
people, its important to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its
employees are reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical
behavior a key value, your team will follow suit.
2)Ability
to Delegate
Its important to remember that trusting your team with your idea is
a sign of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to the appropriate
departments is one of the most important skills you can develop as your
business grows. The key to delegation is identifying the strengths of your
team, and capitalizing on them. Find out what each team member enjoys doing
most.
3)Communication
Training new members and
creating a productive work environment all depend on healthy lines of
communication. Whether that stems from an open door policy to your office, or
making it a point to talk to your staff on a daily basis, making yourself
available to discuss interoffice issues is vital. Your team will learn to trust
and depend on you, and will be less hesitant to work harder.
4)
Sense of Humor
Morale is
linked to productivity, and it’s your job as the team leader to instill a
positive energy. Encourage
your team to laugh at the mistakes instead of crying. If you are constantly
learning to find the humor in the struggles, your work environment will become
a happy and healthy space, where your employees look forward to working in,
rather than dreading it.
5)
Confidence
Keep up your confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks
are natural and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the
leader, by staying calm and confident, you will help keep the team feeling the
same. Remember, your team will take cues from you, so if you exude a level of
calm damage control, your team will pick up on that feeling. The key objective
is to keep everyone working and moving ahead.
6)
Commitment
If you expect your team to work
hard and produce quality content, you’re going to need to lead by example. By proving your commitment to the brand and your role, you will not only
earn the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking
energy among your staff. It’s important to show your commitment not only to the
work at hand, but also to your promises.
7)
Positive Attitude
You want to keep your team
motivated towards the continued success of the company, and keep the energy
levels up. Keep the office mood a fine balance between productivity and
playfulness.
8)
Creativity
As a leader, its
important to learn to think outside the box and to choose which of two bad
choices is the best option. Don’t immediately choose the first or easiest
possibility; sometimes its best to give these issues some thought, and even
turn to your team for guidance. By utilizing all possible options before making
a rash decision, you can typically reach the end conclusion you were aiming
for.
9)Intuition
Guiding your team through the process of your
day-to-day tasks can be honed down to a science. But when something unexpected
occurs, or you are thrown into a new scenario, your team will look to you for
guidance. Drawing on past experience is a good reflex, as is reaching out to
your mentors for support. Eventually though, the tough decisions will be up to
you to decide and you will need to depend on your gut instinct for answers.
Learning to trust yourself is as important as your team learning to trust you.
10)Ability
to Inspire
Make your team feel invested in
the accomplishments of the company. Whether everyone owns a piece of equity, or
you operate on a bonus system, generating enthusiasm for the hard work you are
all putting in is so important. Being able to inspire your team is great for
focusing on the future goals, but it is also important for the current issues.
When you are all mired deep in work, morale is low, and energy levels are
fading, recognize that everyone needs a break now and then.
