Leading a team can be difficult enough when the business is successful and you have loyal customers. When a business is struggling, it’s easy for leaders to question their abilities or the abilities of their team members. When times are tough, it is important to question everyone’s performances, as well as perform team assessments and other metrics to determine the areas of trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success that could use improvement. But the problem comes when leaders lose all of their confidence and put undue pressure on themselves. The role of leader is important, but failures are usually a team problem and not necessarily an individual problem.
With the following leadership team building tips, leaders can learn to lead during times of strife, as well as during times of success.
Manage individuals.
When working in a toxic environment or failing business, it can be easy to lose sight of the individuals and instead focus on the bottom line. This is a problem because it deprives your team members of the opportunity to improve and thrive in the organization. Leaders must to focus on leading their team members individually and on a one-on-one basis to be the most effective. During times of strife, your team members will handle the situation differently, so you need to change your leadership style to best meet their needs. For example, some people will lose focus and their productivity will suffer, while others may see the failing environment as a challenge that they can tackle. However they respond to the situation, you need to know each person on an individual level so that you can best lead them to success.
Get stuff done.
During difficult times, getting everything done can seem completely overwhelming or even impossible. But the ability to get stuff done is the ability that sets great leaders apart from failing leaders,with emphasis on effective delegation. When a business is struggling, it’s even more important that leaders complete tasks and motivate their team members to remain productive. It’s the only way that the business will improve. One way that leaders can achieve this is by being candid with their team members. This doesn’t mean being rude or blunt, but it does mean saving time for everyone involved by being honest and straight to the point. When your team members understand this about you, they will seek your advice, and you will build a relationship based on trust and understanding. With that type of relationship, you’ll get the most done.
Inspire teamwork.
You need your team, especially when times are tough. A devoted and motivated team will work together to create solutions for the areas that are lacking. When people feel invested in their companies, they are more productive and more likely to succeed. To inspire this type of teamwork within your organization, you can implement some key phrases that convey trust to your team members. Phrases like “Can you think of a better way to do this” or “I’ve got your back” let your team members know that you are on their side and want them to succeed as individuals. When team members feel that they are trusted to do their jobs, they will be better motivated to succeed.
Get organized.
When an organization is struggling (and any other time, really), it’s important that leaders are organized. One way to do this is by making lists and establishing priorities. By taking time each day to create a to-do list, leaders are able to see what they’ve been able to accomplish throughout the day, which makes them feel more productive and successful. For a leader in a struggling business, any success can greatly improve their confidence, which will in-turn improve their productivity and overall leadership. Inspire your team members to do the same so that all members of the team feel that they are contributing to the success of the organization.
Make mistakes.
Being perfect is a mighty goal, but it’s completely impossible. As humans, we are bound to make mistakes, and that is OK. Without mistakes, you won’t learn the valuable skills that you need to succeed. So to be successful, forget about being perfect. Failure is a part of success, so when your business is failing, try out some different tactics, tweak your approach and see what works. When mistakes happen, learn from the experience and move forward, without dwelling on the past. That’s the only way that you can turn your business around and succeed.
Leadership roles can be difficult during the best of times, but when times are hard, you might find yourself wondering why you’re even trying. But failure is an important part of success, and by focusing on developing your team members, you can turn the bad into good and failures into successes. Some ways that you can lead during times of strife are by managing individuals, getting stuff done, inspiring teamwork, getting organized and making mistakes. With these leadership team building tips, you can improve your business and succeed.
Here are some additional resources that expands this conversation and leadership team building tips:
- How to Be the Best Boss During the Worst of Times
- 5 Smart Habits of People Who Make Things Happen
- 7 Phrases Smart Leaders Always Use to Inspire Teamwork
- 6 Qualities of Every Natural Born Leader
- 6 Business Skills They Didn’t Teach You In College
Copyright TIGERS Success Series, Inc. by Dianne Crampton
About TIGERS Success Series, Inc.
TIGERS® Success Series is a Bend, Oregon Leadership and Team Improvement Consultant that helps committed leaders build more cooperation among employees and collaboration between departments for improved growth, revenue, purpose and impact.
We do this by deploying the TIGERS team process that improves workforce behaviors that are anchored by trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk resolution and success. Providing diagnostics and customized team interventions, you can improve both work culture and transform your adequate teams into exceptional ones.
We also license and train HRD Executives, Project Managers, Managers, Trainers and Team Consultants in the use of our award winning resources. For more information, call 1+ 541-385-7465.
