FINAL WORD who we really are and what we genuinely think and feel , with both words and behaviour . performing leaders and a high performing leadership team working for the greater good of the business .
IT IS OFTEN THE CASE THAT THE MORE SENIOR THAT LEADERS BECOME , THE LESS OPPORTUNITY THERE IS TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR PERFORMANCE OR TO BE OPEN TO COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR PEERS .
We are hard-wired to doubt leaders whose physicality is not congruent with their message . If a leader says , ‘ We would like you to offer up your ideas of how we may improve our strategy ’, but they are physically held , chest tight , arms folded and without direct eye contact , then we receive that as defensive and closed to new ideas .
2 . Foster collaboration
Collaboration within a team is crucial , as it enables everyone to have a say and feel included in the work , strategy and goals . For truly effective collaboration in a team , there must be psychological safety and trust . This ensures that everyone has a voice and feels ownership of the work , where contributions are valued and appropriate challenges are encouraged .
Creating a team culture in which healthy debate and creativity can thrive often requires additional emotional effort . This is especially true of diverse teams which , by definition , comprise diverse thinking . A leader who is able to flex their communication style to suit their audience is better placed to encourage contribution from all members of their team and create more authentic connection .
The language we use has a significant impact on our perceived position within a team . When we speak , we instinctively choose words that we think will convey our meaning most clearly to our audience , but this can also change how our audience feels and even how we feel ourselves .
When it comes to building positive team dynamics , as a leader it ’ s not enough to simply state your end goal . To engage your team in the vision or goal , you must seek to align individual purpose and get buy-in to the overall vision . For enduring engagement , leaders should seek to provoke an emotional response from their team : reason leads to understanding , emotion leads to action .
Verbs are a useful way to create a compelling message and engage your team . Use a verb to influence your intention , which you can portray through both physical and vocal choices .
Do you want to inspire and excite , challenge and refine or explain and galvanise ? Verbs can motivate you and others towards action . Next time you ’ re presenting an idea or strategic plan , see how this can influence your content and delivery .
4 . Encourage feedback
Feedback is often regarded as a ‘ dirty ’ word , synonymous with delivering difficult messages . However , when it comes to establishing peak performance in the workplace , giving and receiving feedback from leaders is essential .
It is often the case that the more senior that leaders become , the less opportunity there is to receive feedback on their performance or to be open to courageous conversations with their peers .
By establishing a culture in which feedback is delivered effectively and with the right intention , leaders are able to build teams that ensure optimum performance from each member , that are unencumbered by risk aversion and that establish clear accountability .
5 . Reward success
Using the word ‘ we ’ encourages collaboration and inclusion within your team . When performing as a leader , using ‘ I ’ increases your authority . It ’ s important to understand these differences and use the most appropriate language to achieve greater impact and connection .
3 . Engage your team
Successful leadership teams are galvanised by a clear , unifying purpose . This can be a distinguishing factor between a team of high
In an increasingly busy and complex environment , it ’ s easy to fall into the habit of focusing on what went wrong and what needs doing next . Often , we don ’ t thank our team enough , but praise and positivity can radically improve team engagement .
For some leaders , it may mean revealing vulnerability or require extra confidence , but demonstrating appreciation of your peers and teams is an important part of maintaining commitment and a focus on outcomes . x
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