How well do you know your team? To be an effective leader, you need to be intentional about understanding your team’s skill level, strengths, weaknesses, and their overall potential. When you take time to understand the people you are leading, you earn their trust while assessing how to effectively communicate and motivate them. Effective leaders build time into their schedules to invest and understand their staff.
Trust is not given; it is earned. You need to show those you lead that you care about them. Take the time to learn about their families, hobbies, dreams, and interests. When you get to know the personal lives of your staff, the more they will trust you and go the extra mile for you. Show them you care!
Getting to know your staff also means getting to know their gaps and opportunities for improvement. Learn to help them not only set professional goals but also set personal goals. Furthermore, understand their motivation for personal goals and help them align it with the overall growth of the organization.
Knowing your team is essential, not only to their growth and to the organization but your own personal growth. Because what you will find is that you may have to customize your management style to individuals in order to get the best out of them. That may be challenging for you, but it will only help you grow, personally. Just remember, growth does not just apply to your revenues; it’s also for your team and yourself.
