5 Tips for Better Leading and Motivating Your Team

1. Over-communicate. It’s not enough to communicate your vision. Equally important is whether each and every member of your team understands their specific role and how their contribution aligns with your strategic plan. Most leaders fail to communicate often enough. Each time you shift your focus, you must explain the why. Explaining the business rationale is important for employees to stay connected.

2. Find unique drivers. It is erroneous to assume we are all motivated by the same variables. The fact that we all have different drivers is what makes the market. Your exact passion may not be shared by your direct reports. Spend time with each of your team members. Learn where and how they derive value. This will foster a unique and personal commitment to the larger vision.

3. Create ownership. If you lead with your ego, you might be doomed. It’s hard for a narcissist to see, because your own reflection can be blinding to you and off-putting to others. Confidence and creating momentum must be equated with being prepared to share the spotlight.

4. Profile your team. Be willing to share the glory. Ask whether you as a leader have taken risks and created visibility for your team at senior levels. Trust that your direct reports will be able to respond to challenging questions. If you don’t let go, you will have a disenfranchised team. How many of you regularly vet your team and explore whether they believe they are getting the kind of exposure they desire?

5. Create a risk-friendly environment. To create a risk-friendly environment, you have to surround yourself with experts.These experts have something to teach you. If you have all the answers, one of your key liabilities most certainly will be losing your star players. Your star players must have a voice at the table.

Stewardship in the truest definition requires you to launch everyone around you.The buzz is not really you. It’s each and every individual you have surrounded yourself with. That is, if you let them.