leaders take care of your team

Leaders Take Care of Your Team

CommandReady has shared articles on character traits of good leaders, setting important goals, as well as setting smaller goals.  We have published insights to strategic and tactical approaches to planning.  There have even been posts on how military leadership transitions into civilian boardrooms to enhance corporate success.  But an incredibly important responsibility of yours barely touched upon is that leaders take care of your team. 

No Naps or Lattes

This article is not about making sure they have workspace with a view and an afternoon nap.  It isn’t referring to supplying their morning and afternoon lattes.  Neither is it about issuing easy assignments.  If anything, this article is about challenging your team.  It is about giving them the trust and freedom to problem solve and develop a plan to follow.  By showing you trust your team to bring a solution to the table, you are showing them respect while you help them grown into the leaders you know they can be.  Go ahead and give them the workspace with a view when they earn it.  That is part how leaders take care of your team.

Leaders take care of your teams - not with naps or lattes.
Senior Airman Ronnie Beatty, 555th Fighter Squadron weapons load crew member, performs in a load competition at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Jan. 21, 2022. The teams compete in three categories; a uniform inspection, a knowledge check and a load competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Noah Sudolcan)

Finding the Discipline Balance

By challenging your team, with tough training and discipline, you help them learn to reach their goals and succeed at work.  We’re not talking about driving your team to burnout. Know when to back off your team, but not by giving them an easy path.  Hating their work will not help them succeed.  Because teams don’t always have self-imposed discipline, you may need to carefully apply it.  As leaders take care of your team, they try to guide the team toward self-discipline.  Resistance to change will be normal.  Leaders know it will be rewarding for them in the end, but the team hasn’t discovered that yet. 

Opting-in or Imposing Your Will

Leaders take care of your team by using phrases like “we need to give this a try” or “I need your help to assess this approach.”  “If we don’t change our process, we’ll fall behind and it’ll cost us all”  can also help transition your team.  When you dictate your team’s actions, you are forcing your will on them, eliminating their input and project ownership.  Without feelings of teamwork and drive for success, any obstacles easily derail their efforts.  By offering your team the chance to opt-in, they will fight hard to drive themselves through the imposed discipline.  Without that chance, they aren’t engaged and the end results are poorer.  Save direct orders for urgent situations where immediate response is critical.

Developing Team Pride

Pride in your work can be a good thing, inciting best team efforts, self-respect and goal achievement.  When it turns into arrogance, it destroys growth and teamwork.  Leaders take care of your team by paying attention to their team’s pride and watching that it doesn’t become destructive.  You can do that by continuously holding your team to the highest standards.  A sense of pride inspires hard work, higher standards and confidence in the team and themselves.  Pride stems from the achievements already accomplished.  Arrogance develops when attention is only based on past achievements.  By keeping your team in the present, you help them keep arrogance in check, allowing pride to drive achievement and growth.  CommandReady has multiple programs to help you develop your leadership skills as well as personal skills.  Let us help you choose the best program for you.  Contact us or call