Take these 4 steps to gain your team’s trust
The job of a team leader is very important. Their job is not only supposed to make the team work in sync with each other, it is also important to make sure that their team has faith in their leadership.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C Maxwell, leadership guru
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Often, the leader is viewed as someone who takes all the credit for the team’s work. If a single person starts thinking this way, then the whole source of leadership goes down the drain. A leader is supposed to inspire and make the team believe that the work they are doing will help them rise in their career. A leader’s job is to make sure that it is not an individual’s job but a team’s responsibility to get the work done. For a leader, it is important to gain their team’s trust and inspire them to work together. In the lack of good leadership, the whole team structure falls down like a house of cards. To become a leader, you need to get into the mindset of the leader. To make sure that your team trusts you as a leader, here are some of the important steps that you must follow.
Accept failures, and share credit among the team members
As a leader, you should be ready to accept failures instead of blaming your team for them. When a project is successful, let your team know that they are the ones who did it. By doing so, your team will start believing in you. They’ll slowly learn to share failures and successes together. This is one step that shapes the trust and the belief structure of your team and inspires them to follow your command.
Let the team take initiatives
A leader is often viewed upon as a person who is burdened with important decisions. These decisions are hard and fast and taken without keeping the team’s viewpoint in mind. As a leader, you should involve your team in the decision making process. This way they’ll feel more responsible towards their work. At times, it is terrifying when you let your team take the wheel, but it will only motivate them in the long run, and if nothing, they will respect you more for it.
Promote competition but help them understand the value of working together
Working in a competitive environment teaches you the value of hard work. There is always a competition within the team where every team member tries to outperform the other. As a leader, it is also important for you to make them understand that while competition is important, they need to learn the importance of working together.
Gratify your team occasionally
Gratification doesn’t only mean that you are supposed to load your team members with occasional gifts and bonuses. Obviously, at times it is neither in your control nor within your payscale. But as a leader, you can always make plans with your team to take them outside for a few drinks or a quick snack. Team outings are necessary as they take the mind off regular work. There is no harm in taking a day out of work and hitting the nearest pub or even organising a cricket match. It will only help you connect with your team and understand everyone’s mindset.
Trust is essential for the team’s productivity. Without trust, the team won’t function and tasks will fall apart. Leading your team is an important task, and making your team believe in your leadership is a much important task. The day you master the latter, you and your team will reach heights within your organisation and set examples among your colleagues.
