The word team covers many things. If you are a manager or business owner (or both), it could be the people you manage and who work for you. There are sports teams, and maybe you coach one. Families can be teams, and each family will have its own leader, even if that is never acknowledged (there is always one person who takes charge when the need arises).
No matter what kind of team you have, if you are the leader, you’ll want to inspire plenty of confidence. You’ll want to be listened to. You’ll want to have your instructions understood and carried out. Yet you’ll also want to be liked – although this is certainly not essential when you have a team to lead, it definitely won’t hurt. So with all that in mind, how can you inspire confidence in your team so you can be a great leader and find the success you are looking for? Read on to find out.
Be Calm
The ability to remain cool, calm, and collected in the face of adversity is a hallmark of a strong leader who inspires confidence in their team. By remaining calm, the rest of the group will follow suit, and this has a significant impact. For one thing, it controls your personal emotions, and it also prevents you from making errors – you have time to think when you’re not panicking. Remaining cool in the face of unexpected events such as changing deadlines, urgent client requests, or the inability of suppliers to deliver can save time and worry in the long run.
Be Decisive
A leader who can’t make up their mind or who continually asks others to make decisions for them is not a strong leader and will not inspire trust. A strong leader should always be able to make a decision, even if it is difficult. A good leader will, of course, seek input from their team, but they will not depend on it. They won’t take long to come up with a response, either – but they will consider carefully. However, that same leader will not bulldoze their way through decision-making with a ‘my way or the highway’ approach. It’s a delicate balance, but one that a smart leader who wants to instill trust will be able to strike.
Be One Of The Team
When it comes to demonstrating yourself to be a good, motivating leader, sharing duties and being a part of the team is crucial. If you ask someone you train or hire to do something, you should be prepared to do it yourself as well. When you can show this is the case, you will inspire the team around you because they can see that you are willing to work as hard as they are expected to, even though, as a manager, it might not technically be something you have to do.
Remember, though, being part of the team is hard to do in some cases because you don’t want to become so friendly with everyone that you no longer inspire them or, worse, they no longer have any respect from you. Many managers shy away from being part of the team because they aren’t sure how to approach it in the right way – there is a line that needs to be drawn, and determining where this line is can be tricky, which is why a business course such as the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course can be highly effective.
Be Respectful
Being a good boss and inspirational leader entails thinking about your staff and respecting their requirements. Some managers feel that merely yelling long and loudly and being aggressive is the best way to lead, but this will only breed animosity and reduce productivity. Take the time to listen to what your team members are saying and collaborate with them to create a better, healthier working environment, and you will be appreciated in return.
If you can show that you respect your team, they will respect you, and you’ll get a lot more positive out of them.
Show Appreciation
When people don’t feel appreciated, they lose their self-esteem and motivation, which may lead to burnout. As a result, supervisors must be sure to communicate their appreciation for a job well done. If an employee feels that they are doing a good job, that person is more confident.
Even better, compliment the employee in front of others to instill more self-assurance in them. When employees are the subject of praise, but they know you only offer it in the right circumstances, they will be much more inspired by you and confident in your leadership abilities.