No one expects the leader to know everything. At the same time, professionals expect you to be “smart” in a variety of ways. This builds confidence in you as the leader. What insight have you mastered? What do you need to learn?
This three-part series on enhancing trust acknowledges that trust is valuable. Our teams are more productive and engaged when they have trusting relationships. This kind of environment yields bottom-line results and personal satisfaction.
The ideas and suggestions in this series are built on the CrossGroup Leadership Model. In this article, we focus on insight and competence. The past article emphasized credibility, and the third article will focus on subjective goodwill or passion. All of these focus on you as a leader. As you build these qualities into your life and practice, you will be able to influence others in positive ways.
Insight
We are usually promoted in organizations because we are outstanding individual contributors. As team leaders or managers, however, we take on a whole new role. We may still be expected to contribute individually, but now we are also responsible for a team of people. What are their expectations? What is your boss’s expectations for the team?
What competencies must be learned and practiced? There are several levels of insight we must master to be a great team leader.
People
First, we must know our people and our peers. Too many team members in the business world feel anonymous. They sense that they are a “cog on a wheel”. Great managers get to know their people. They understand strengths and weaknesses and are comfortable giving and receiving regular feedback.
In addition, they are “known”. They allow others to know them as well.
How well do you know your co-workers and how well do they really know you? Do you understand what motivates them? Do you appreciate their stressors? Do they know what motivates and stresses you? How do your team members like to be managed and coached?
Make it a part of your mission to develop and use your interpersonal skills to relate to your people.
Business
How well do you understand your business? Do you understand the money-making model of your business? What important role does your team play in the operations of your business? How are you teaching your team about the business?
Your team needs you to help them understand the business. You are the connector to the larger enterprise. You help them see where they fit in and how their jobs contribute to the success of the company.
What is the company’s strategic plan? How does your team contribute to the mission, objectives, and goals of the whole? How is your team performance measured? Do you track this progress and inform your team regularly?
Do you serve external clients and markets? How well do you understand the client and the markets you serve?
Technical Skills
As the team leader, you are responsible to make sure your group is technically sound. You must make sure they are well equipped to do their tasks. A collaborative career development plan should be co-produced by the leader and team member so they can see their expertise development. For some, this will require internal training where we cross-train or self-educate. For others, this expertise will be gained externally. Some of our team members enjoy the challenge of learning something new and find that motivational. Others will need to be motivated and encouraged. Try building work experiences that solve internal efficiencies or challenges.
No matter how we are developing skills, we must see this as a part of our leadership role.
Trust is built as we invest in our own competence and share our competencies freely with those within our influence. Humbly share your insight. Remain a learner. Bolster your understanding of people, the business, and technical skills. You will see your trust quotient go up.
Next month, we will dive into personal passion.
