How To Build Your Team

Teams have always been an important part of success in business, but how well your team works can make or break your company. A strong team will keep you motivated, working together towards a common goal, while also giving you support when needed. A weak team can be disastrous for your career and personal life!

As CEO of Inspiring Leadership Systems, I work with many other professionals who are at different stages in their leadership careers. One thing that all these leaders have in common is they know what makes a great leader, but they struggle to develop this talent within themselves. They feel that if someone else was more capable than them, then they should let go and learn from them.

This isn’t good for anyone. You need to believe in yourself and don’t allow others to convince you otherwise.

It takes a lot of effort to become a good leader, but it is definitely worth it. This article will talk about some ways to build the next level of leadership in your own team and help you get there.

Make sure you can work with everyone

As mentioned before, your team is made up of individuals who are separate parts that come together to make a whole. This is why it is so important to be able to work well with every member of your team!

As a leader, you will need to build trust and respect among all members of your team. You may already have some strong relationships, but it is never too late to strengthen those bonds.

By creating an environment where people feel comfortable coming in and out of, and feeling like they can talk to you about anything, your team will keep working hard for you.

Your colleagues will also likely look up to you and believe in your leadership abilities. When this happens, they might try to follow your lead or bring things to your attention even if you don’t ask them to.

If you're looking to grow as a leader, making friends beyond your own department, level, and shift times is a good way to start.

Communicate well

A leader is someone who sets an example by what they do, not what they say people should be doing. A true leader produces results in their team members and makes them feel like part of the organization, thus creating a strong bond that can last a lifetime.

As mentioned before, being a good leader isn’t just about giving orders and expecting people to obey. It doesn’t mean telling everyone else what to do and then sitting back and watching them play with themselves. Being a leader means motivating others to help you achieve your goals.

If you want to know how to build your team, start by communicating effectively. When things get tough, you will have to communicate your decisions as well as why you made them.

Never assume anyone else is thinking the same way you are at any given moment. Make sure you are always aware of the other person’s position, thoughts, and feelings.

Above all, be honest! Don’t make false promises or exaggerate situations to gain an upper hand on someone. If you need to tell someone something that may hurt them, do it with care.

Understand where they are coming from and don’t take it personally. At the end of the day, there was probably one thing that mattered more to them than whatever you said today.

Be a good listener

A lot of people assume that being a leader means talking more than your peers, or even having louder conversations with other members of the team. But that’s not what leadership is really about!

Leaders are always listening – to their colleagues, to outside parties like customers or potential employers, and to their own instincts as to how things should be done.

Good listeners are valuable resources because they can get you the information you need to make smart decisions. They also understand when it's time to shift the conversation so you can focus on something else.

Being a good listener isn't just a nice quality to have; it's an essential one for leaders to possess.

Make them feel appreciated

A lot of times, people get into the workplace with an aim to earn a paycheck and go home. They work hard for little appreciation and praise, if any at all. This can quickly de-motivate those working under you!

If you want to keep your team motivated, make sure they know how much they mean to you. Tell them every day why their contribution is important and what they bring to the table.

They’ll be inspired by these messages and want to do even more to impress you.

At the same time, ask about their lives – are there kids they’ve never met who love watching TV? Or maybe they’re trying to save up money for something big. Find ways to include them in things that matter to them.

It may not seem like a huge amount, but it will have a lasting effect on them.

Ask for their opinion

As mentioned before, your job as an executive is to create a work environment that encourages people to give their best effort every day. For most professionals, giving of their energy goes beyond just their paid responsibilities; it includes staying after hours, responding in chat or email outside of business hours, and even going above and beyond at home.

This is why having open conversations with colleagues is so important. Not only does this strengthen relationships, but it also gives you insights into how they perform under pressure and what they need from you.

Asking about things such as career goals, personal lives, and potential changes can all contribute to this. It’s never too early or late to do this – whether at a company event, via phone, or through casual chats during the week.

At The Body Shop, we have a saying which says ‘Never underestimate the importance of being together as a team’. I believe this because not only did my predecessor as CEO leave us, but he left without notice as well! He has since returned as our new chairman and director.

Follow up after giving them attention

Even if you gave someone your full attention at one time, it is important to follow up with them later to make sure they know that you are looking into their priorities and what things matter most to them.

We all have different personal schedules so this may be difficult to do, but leaving messages or voicemails is a good way to check in once you’ve already done some of the initial work. If you need to take more than an hour or two to talk to someone, then send them an email instead!

It will also help prevent people from thinking that because you didn’t speak to them face-to-face that you don’t care about them.

Be a good manager

Being a great leader is more than showing people how well you manage them, it’s about motivating them to do their best every day. It’s about creating an environment where they feel comfortable coming in each morning feeling confident that what they are doing will make a difference and move the company forward.

As a manager, your job doesn’t end when everyone comes into work or goes home at night. That’s why having strong leadership skills is so important.

You will be working with other people who may not know what to make of you at first but will eventually realize that you don’t just lead from behind, you take initiative and set goals and expectations for yourself and others. You won’t always agree with one another, but you’ll come together as a team under my leadership.

Teach them

A successful team doesn’t just happen overnight, it takes work and repetition to build strong relationships that last. You have to teach people how to behave and depend on each other so they can do this for themselves, you can’t be the one who always has to put in the effort first.

That’s why being able to identify what skills your colleagues lack and offering help or guidance is key. It’ll take time, but eventually everyone will feel comfortable asking for help and knowing there are safe resources available if things get difficult.

As someone who had to rebuild his professional relationship network after he left university, I know how important it was for him to connect with others outside of work.