You’ve worked hard for a new job with more responsibility and finally landed a role that requires leadership. Stepping into a leadership position can be daunting, but as with any new experience, you can learn to be a great leader.
Great leadership boils down to a few key values, but not all leaders lead in quite the same way. More than anything, great leaders must know themselves and be aware of their role.
Knowing how you’re motivated and leaning into your core Motivational Dimensions will help you develop a leadership style unique to you, your team, and the objectives you’re hoping to fulfill.
Whether you’re transitioning from an individual contributor role or stepping into leadership for the first time, there are key ways to step into effective leadership.
Understand your role
- Facilitate, don’t dominate. Your primary job is to enable your team to succeed. This means providing resources, removing obstacles, and ensuring clear communication rather than micromanaging or overshadowing your team. Leadership is more about the team’s success and less about your own recognition.
- Set the vision. Clearly articulate the team’s goals and how each member’s role contributes to these objectives. Make sure everyone understands not just what they’re doing, but why it’s essential. If you’re a Visionary, this will be easy for you. Ensure the vision you set is aligned with organizational objectives.
Build trust
- Lead by example. Show integrity, reliability, and commitment. If you’re asking for punctuality or quality work, ensure you exemplify these traits by showing up on time and ensuring your work is to the highest quality standards.
- Be transparent. Share information about decisions, company updates, and challenges. Trust is built on transparency and open communication. If your organization is going through difficult times, ensure that you frame this communication in a way that still taps into each team member’s motivations.
- Empathize with direct reports. Understand the personal and professional challenges your team members might face. Show genuine interest in their well-being and career aspirations.
Effective communication
- Listen actively. Pay attention to what your team members say and, importantly, what they don’t say. Encourage open dialogue where team members feel heard. When you’re listening, keep your team members’ Motivational Dimensions in mind so you can look for elements of their unique motivational aspirations in their word choices.
- Provide clear instructions. Ensure that when you communicate tasks or changes, your instructions are clear, concise, and understood by everyone. Tie your instructions to each individual’s motivation so they understand how the tasks fit with the organizational objectives as well as their own motivations.
- Check in regularly. Have scheduled one-on-ones and team meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and feedback. Make sure you spend your energy listening more than speaking. Focus on understanding frustrations and blockers to help clear them and reduce friction for your people.
Promote collaboration
- Pay attention to team dynamics. Foster an environment where collaboration is valued over competition. Encourage cross-functional learning and teamwork, and look for opportunities to pair Motivational Dimensions in ways that will complement your people’s core motivations.
- Quickly resolve conflict. Address conflicts swiftly and fairly. Use these situations as learning opportunities to improve team interaction and problem-solving skills. Never let conflict fester, as it can ruin team cohesion.
Delegate effectively
- Know your people. Understand each team member’s motivations, fears, and career goals. Delegate tasks that play to their Motivational Dimensions while providing opportunities for deepening expression of core motivations.
- Autonomy. Give your team the freedom to make decisions within their scope. This not only boosts morale and employee engagement but also encourages ownership and accountability.
Provide feedback and recognition
- Provide constructive feedback. Offer specific, timely feedback and focus on behavior or outcomes rather than personal traits.
- Recognize excellence. Regularly acknowledge good work. Recognition can be public or private, but it should always be sincere and linked to specific achievements. Ensure that recognition ties to your team member’s individual motivations. For example, rewarding an Achiever for being a “team player” might make them wonder if they’re on the right team.
- Find comfort with failure. Allowing your team members to experiment, get data, and fail can create greater opportunity for innovation. Sometimes great innovation comes out of failed projects, and too much control can stifle creativity.
Develop leadership in others
- Act as a mentor, not just a manager. Through an attitude of mentorship, help your team members see their potential for leadership roles. Leadership can help create greater ownership over project success and create greater opportunities for team cohesion as team members become more aware of their impact on their peers.
- Encourage professional development. Support your team in pursuing further training, certifications, or conferences for greater talent development. This can include Motivation Code team trainings that help your team find greater awareness of their own motivations and the motivations of others.
Leadership style adaptation
- Be flexible. Understand that different situations might require different leadership styles. Sometimes being directive is necessary, while other times, a more democratic approach might work better.
- Never stop learning. Stay informed about new management techniques, tools, and theories. Being a good team lead means you’re also always learning and encouraging others to learn and grow, too.
Manage upwards
- Communicate with upper management. Ensure you’re aligned with your superiors’ expectations while advocating for your team’s needs.
- Balance team and organizational goals. Sometimes, these might conflict, and you must navigate these waters diplomatically.
Leadership requires an environment where your team can thrive
Leadership requires a mix of empathy, strategic planning, communication skills, and the ability to adapt. Remember, leadership is not about being the best in the room; it’s about making everyone else better. But in order to help them become better, they must
Embrace this journey with an open mind, and you’ll not only grow as a leader but also contribute significantly to the success of your team and organization.
Motivation Code can provide deep insight to help you become a great leader, no matter where you are in your leadership development. When you’re ready to take the assessment, you can do so in about 30 minutes. The assessment works through stories of your success and fulfillment, and you’ll receive a full PDF report with resources to guide you on your leadership journey.
