In yesterday's blog post, we explored the intricacies of managing a high-performing team, with a central focus on the transition from individual excellence to effective leadership. We introduced David McClelland's three human motivators: Achievement, Affiliation, and Power, as invaluable tools for successful management. This framework underscores the significance of harmonizing personal aspirations with team objectives, nurturing positive interpersonal connections, and wielding power judiciously. In this latest insight post, we'll delve deeper into essential considerations for new managers and provide additional tips to enhance your leadership capabilities as you guide your team to success.
Self-Assessment: Understanding Your Motives
As manager your team should always be your top priority. It is your responsibility to keep the order, the bond, and the quality of work. Whatever you do will always affect the motivation of the rest of the team. That is why you must make good use of your emotional quotient to have a better understanding about different situations and emotions within the team. You need to understand your drives and then figure out how to utilize your motives to establish a positive relationship that would put other people first before your own. In this way you can both satisfy your needs while doing good for people around you, your teammates. So start assessing yourselves now, develop your self-awareness, self-management, and empathy. This will help you manage and understand your motives.
Using Motives to Build Positive Relationships
It is undeniable that self-awareness of motives is an essential tool to be an effective leader. It is a must to be aware of one self’s motives and intentions in order to lead your teams effectively, as well as building strong relationships with them. Also, having firm decisions, strategies, and guidance can help the team succeed with their goals. A great team comes with strong relationships among the leader and its members. Self-awareness, authenticity, empathy, and guidance are some of the strategies that a team leader could take in order for them to create stronger relationships with the team members.
Self-awareness. It is important for leaders to take their time on reflecting on their genuine motives and intentions for the team. They could list their desired accomplishments when doing an action or what is their reason for doing so. By taking their time on reflecting and asking themselves, they’ll be able to understand their behaviors and motives. A leader should understand themselves first in order for them to pay attention to others.
Authenticity. Leaders should be honest and straightforward to their team members. Being transparent about their intentions and goals with the team members can help them to trust their leader. A leader should also follow their own words in order for the team members to see that they are being truthful. This could help them to put their trust in their leader and follow their guidance.
Empathy. Seeing someone in their perspective can help us to understand their given situation. This is the same for the team leaders. In order to build strong relationships with their members, leaders should also see through their members’ intentions and motives. They should understand that they are not alone while driving to their success, they are with the team. Listening to their team members can help their relationship grow better, especially on taking the team’s intentions to consideration when making a decision. This could help them to be motivated and encourage them to strive for success.
Lastly, guidance. A leader should provide a clear path for their members. Their guidance should be consistent, alongside with their motives and intentions. This could help their members to develop a sense of trust and respect with them. Also, they should be able to give the members proper recognition and positive reinforcements for them to strive for their betterment. Encouragements are highly recommended for them to work in their best state.
Serving Others First, Yourself Second
The servant leadership is often overlooked in most of the workplaces. The phrase “serve others first before yourself” implies an approach wherein the needs of the team members should be prioritized rather than the needs of the leader or manager. This approach can help the leader to create a supportive and productive work environment. Additionally, this is beneficial for both sides as it encourages the team leaders to be understanding while their members feel valued. It creates a positive bond among them.
The primary goal of servant leadership is to create an environment where the members feel that they are supported and valued. In order for the leader to do this, they should focus on building relationships among their members. They should be willing to listen to their needs and concerns, as well as providing things for them. The leaders should know how to take feedback from their members, opening themselves for new ideas and approaches that they can do for their team. However, boundaries should also be watched and respected while doing this process.
In order for this approach to be successful, a leader should take their time to understand the individual needs of each team member. If possible, they should know them on a personal level such as asking their personal goals, interests, and motivations. This could help them to understand what they need in order to be successful. Together with this, the leaders should create an environment of open communication. This means encouraging the members to speak and express themselves comfortably. Also, the leader should follow this up, by listening and taking the member’s thoughts into consideration. This will help them to have a healthy conversation while developing the sense of trust between them. Moreover, the leaders should keep track of each member’s progress in their performances. This could help them identify if there are specific needs that should be focused on each member. They could also offer development training, mentorship, or any resources that the team members need to do their job effectively.
Overcoming Challenges
High-performing teams mostly consist of talented individuals working together to achieve their common goal. However, it requires an effort to manage such a team as challenges may arise. Ego clashes and maintaining team cohesion are some of the issues that any team may face in the future.
It is inevitable for a high-performing team that the ego of the team members would clash, especially that they are a group of highly talented individuals. These clashes can lead to tension and conflict that can damage their performances. In order to combat this problem, it is important to value every member’s differences and appreciate them. Every member has their own strength and capacity, it is important to acknowledge them and put them into the right places such as giving them the work they are comfortable and passionate about. It can help them to have their own safe spaces, express their own ideas, and acknowledge everyone’s effort in the team.
When working with individuals with different backgrounds, maintaining group cohesion should also be considered. Sometimes, it is difficult to ensure that everyone in the team is working on the same page because of their diversity. One thing to do with this, the leader should impose a team mission statement that outlines their goals and objectives. In addition to this, the leader could create a vision of success in order for the members to look at one destination they will end up at. Also, encourage them to be collaborative and communicative. Everyone should welcome and provide feedback with one another.
Conclusion
Managing high performing teams is indeed challenging yet, it is a rewarding endeavor that a leader could achieve. A star leader is someone who can bring out the best in their team and help them reach their own full potential. They should provide a clear path for their members to follow that could help them to walk into their successes. It includes imposing mission and vision statements that leads to a common goal they want to achieve while encouraging and inspiring them to strive. A healthy environment is also essential in the workplaces, this kind of environment should be considered in order for the members to feel safe and heard. It should imply the sense of belongingness and respect with one another. This environment could help everyone to work willingly and effectively. Moreover, recognizing and acknowledging everyone’s effort should be one of their priorities. Everyone craves recognition of their accomplishments, so it should be noticed and rewarded accordingly.
The aforementioned principles and approaches should be considered by the aspiring and star leaders. This could help them to create a culture of excellence and foster a high-performing team. Encourage and inspire your members, help them to maximize their potential.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
— John Maxwell
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