The most important thing for a leader to do — work on yourself
As a leader your job is drive your team, make them better, and deliver on your teams goals. The best way to do this is to keep working on yourself.
The best leaders mix hard traits like toughness, drive, and conviction with soft characteristics like humility, unity, empathy and respect. When this happens it results in a balanced individual and someone with authenticity. This person deservedly earns the trust of the team. The best leaders then use these traits and characteristics to create an environment of trust.
When a team trusts you they go all-in, when they have a safe, transparent and sharing environment they go all-in. Suddenly a team goes from being mediocre to outstanding, because they have found a genuine leader operating in a culture of trust. The team attaches themselves to this leader and each individual commits to the cause, knowing they are in a safe environment. When this happens magic happens to the team. Morale improves dramatically, and the performance of the team skyrockets. The team is giving their all, because they are 100% committed. They aren’t holding back.
But people don’t respond this way to mediocre leaders, or leaders with only some of the traits we look for. Team members don’t go all in unless there is a trust and a safe environment. So the magic doesn’t happen unless you as the leader become the person your team wants and needs. You get the team you deserve, and if you put the work in, you can get the most amazing team in the world.
