Tips to be a Better Leader and Motivate your Team
Patricia Kaim
Many organizations underestimate the power of good leadership in increasing team morale, motivation, and retention. Organizations recognize the importance of loyal and motivated employees but sometimes fail to hold managers accountable for bad decisions. Organizations must invest more in talent retention, management selection, coaching, and development. Great leaders make all the difference. There are a few reasons why your team members might lack the motivation they need; they could be feeling unappreciated, bored with their responsibilities, or unhappy with the high volume of changes that happen every week, including lack of transparency, communication, unclear goals, and lack of flexibility offered to them. They may not trust their leaders. They do not feel supported by them. Why?
Leaders must be honest, transparent, ethical, courageous, and kind to help others discover their full potential. If your team grows, you grow with them. This takes empathy, self-awareness, honesty, and authenticity. I always lead with my heart. I teach to serve others, not myself. Your ability to impact others is not based on your skills, expertise, title, or degree; it is based on your emotional intelligence and ability to connect with others and treat everyone with respect and passion. It is based on the trust, integrity, and commitment you deliver to them every day. It would help if you always did the right thing. Right is right, and wrong is wrong; always choose the right thing.
The most experienced leaders can influence others, manage conflict well, are very flexible, ask relevant questions during the meeting, challenge the team and the business with passion, bring fresh ideas to the table, and support staff thoughts and actions. Great experienced leaders are a competitive advantage for any organization; they drive change wherever they go.
Your aim as a leader is to inspire, lead, serve, and provide your team with training and better tools for growth. You also encourage growth and innovation by surrounding yourself with a diversified team with skills and experience that complement yours. You cannot do this alone, but you can accomplish marvelous things with others. A motivated workforce is a competitive advantage for any organization or department.
In general, leaders must have the vision to continue seeking new opportunities constantly and should look for creativity, imagination, and critical thinking when recruiting new talent. Additionally, they should encourage Diversity and Inclusion to build even stronger teams. Here are some tips to motivate your team and enhance your leadership skills:
Stand by your team. Other stakeholders may challenge your project, initiative, issues, but you must protect your team. They need to know you trust them and protect them from anything that happens. Good leaders understand how to manage conflict, negotiate, and support their teams during difficult conversations. They must show empathy and respect for others even when they disagree with the challenge; however, they know how to manage each situation positively. Good leaders-built trust, transparency, and able to empower their teams to make decisions and collaborate even better with others.
Take care of your health and mind. Keep yourself physically fit through good exercise and diet. Mental health is important for your attitude and productivity. It is important to take care of your health every day. It would help if you led yourself well to be a successful leader. A leader caring for himself can provide reliable guidance, adapt quickly to changes, and have an open mind. If you do not take care of yourself, you are telling yourself that everyone else is more important than you and teaching this to others too. This doesn’t seem right; you must lead your team by providing a good example. Lead yourself better to be a better leader.
“It is your own responsibility to shine bright and inspire others.”
Exercise is a great ‘reset switch,’ and here are a few additional tips:
Make it a priority, a non-negotiable part of life.
Make it a habit – even if you run for a few minutes, you will never regret that. It would help if you were disciplined to do something every day, even when tired. I have my routine to work out twice a day; I go for a walk for at least an hour, listen to music, and then work on the treadmill for 40 minutes.
Choose something you enjoy (e.g., meditation, yoga, reiki, reading or listening to an optimistic book, keeping a gratitude journal, spending time in nature).
Take breaks to recharge batteries!
Get enough sleep; rest is crucial for your body and mind!
Eat healthily and drink lots of water.
Spend time away from the office with your family and great friends.
Learn when to disconnect to focus on yourself.
Compete with yourself to be the best version of yourself. Do not compete with anyone. Focus on yourself. That’s it!
We all want a work-life balance, but we are fully responsible for that. Many people do not know how to set boundaries and do not recognize when they are doing too much. I am a breast cancer survivor, and I got to a point where I had to fight for my life twice and realized how important it is to take care of myself every day. I learned the lesson! Never take your life for granted. If you have good health, you have everything you need to be successful. Also, avoid a toxic workplace as this will not be suitable for your personal development and health. Set boundaries and work accordingly. If you are looking for a good advice now, the answer is self-care.
I want to end this by leaving a few questions:
Are you applying these tips?
How can you describe your team morale? Is the staff turnover high? If the answer is yes, what is your commitment to identifying the root cause, developing, retaining talent, and supporting your team?
How do you drive team motivation?
Are you taking care of yourself and your team?
What helps you restore your energy and renew your soul every day?
What motivates you? Self-awareness matters. Who we are is how we lead our teams. Daring leaders must care for and be connected to the teams they lead. Motivate your team and see the benefits. The rest will come.
Can you become a better leader for your team? Can you serve others better? The technical skills are not enough to motivate employees and build stronger teams. It would help if you had more than that; it is about connecting with your team, listening to them, allowing them to succeed, and empowering them to communicate and collaborate better. Compromised employees are more engaged, add more ideas, and stay with a company longer. Do not forget to look to your team for inspiration. Pay attention to things that have worked in the past and always be open to new things, learn from others, but always do your best to motivate and inspire others. Also, do not forget an important task: take care of yourself always to serve better. Remember, your growth is a result of your self-care.
