How To Improve Your Chances That Your Team Will Follow You

There are hundreds of books dealing with the complexity of what it means to be an excellent leader. However, as with many things, the most straightforward and simple answers are often the most effective. So, what are your employees looking for from you as their leader? More importantly, how can you improve your chances that your team will follow you?

Ask five people what leadership is and you will get at least ten different answers. Everyone has a different view. The responses can usually be group into three categories:

• what the employees want from their leader
• why the person wants to be a leader
• what the individual wants to get out of their leadership role

In my view, it is all about what the team wants from their leader. It is not about you — it is about them. An excellent frame to think about is servant leadership. When I ask fellow leaders what they want from their team members, I get a consistent response. They want their people to follow them and to:

• work hard
• be productive
• be safe at work
• listen
• be trustworthy

So, what can you do to improve the chances that they will?

There are many things you can do that can help make that happen. However, respect is something that everyone wants from their boss. Moreover, with respect, you increase your odds at having the list above being right for your team members.

Respect

Above all, your people want you to respect them. At work, this means that you:

• appreciate them
• value them
•  admire them

Would you want your boss to respect, appreciate, value, and admire you? Moreover, if they do, are you more likely to be loyal to them, be more productive, listen more closely, trust them more, and willingly follow them?

The same holds for your people.

However, just respecting them is not good enough — they need to see it to believe it. Furthermore, few bosses start with a positive view in the minds of employees. Your employees are unlikely to start off thinking that you respect them. So, it would be best if you worked even harder to show that respect for them as soon as you arrive in the role — or even better before!

How can you do that?

Pay attention to them as an individual, rather than just a worker. You need to:

• listen to them
• give them the benefit of the doubt
• encourage them
• smile at them
• ask them about their family
• provide them with a chance

Add items to the list yourself. It is important to remember that you earn respect through your actions.

What do the folks you lead want from you?

The reality of being a leader is that you cannot carry out everything on your own. So, you depend on your team to create success and the results that you are looking to achieve. Your leadership is all about the team and the people you lead.

When I became a manager, my boss said there are five things your employees want from you. His advice stuck with me. They want:

• competent job instruction — “Show me how to do my job."
• independence and flexibility in doing the job — "Show me how to do it but let me be me."
• to stay informed about the things that are relevant to them
• recognition and praise for a job well-done
• to work for a leader, not a boss

Based on my experience, and the input from teams I have led over the years, here is my refined list based on what I have seen that teams wanted from their leader.

Clear Direction

The top reason for failure and the reduced level of employee engagement is the lack of clear direction. They need to believe in the mission and know their part.

Supplying clear direction is the first thing you need to provide to them. Give your team members a clear picture of the goal, a clear definition of what success looks like and what you expect of the team, and each person on the team. Connect the dots for them to explain how this activity supports success within the business.

Giving clear direction needs two-way communication. While you think you have been clear — it does not mean that it is clear to your followers. The only way you know it is clear is by asking them.

I have heard many leaders say, “I gave clear direction, so not sure what happened.” However, when I spoke with some of their team members, they often told me that they had no clue what was needed. They usually had received some information. Though, it was apparent that the leader and her team were on different pages.

Failure is almost certain, without clarity of direction. So, keep your explanations simple and seek confirmation that your staff member understands the direction.

A Safe Environment

You do not do your best work when you are worried, stressed, or afraid. You may be fearful of failing, losing your job, or being called out in public.

Fulfilled people are productive people. As the leader, you take care of your staff, keep them fulfilled, and provide them with a sense of purpose. An essential part is creating a safe environment for your team. Team members need to feel that:

• you have their back
• they can be open without fear of criticism
• they will be treated fairly and with respect

While you will still need to hold them accountable and be firm from time to time, you must be fair, consistent, and respectful. So, when things go wrong, look to find solutions, do not play the blame game. Blame kills trust. It creates a stressful, rather than safe, environment.

Set Up for Success

Few people are afraid of challenging work. However, most people are fearful of failure. By showing your crew how to be successful and set them up for success — they will work extremely hard for you.

No one comes to work looking to fail. We all want to be part of a winning team that is doing something useful. It is one of our basic needs. Success builds and feeds our self-esteem.

Every leader I have known wanted their employees to take more accountability or ownership. This is an excellent way to do this is to set them up for success. If your people do not have what they need to be successful, they will not likely take ownership or want to be accountable.

So, when you assign tasks always ask your team member if they have what they need to be successful, including your advice and guidance. Once they have confirmed that they understand the task, then they have accepted accountability. If they say no, then get them what they need. Set up regular check-ins to see if they have what they need. Remember, their success is your success.

Give Them Room to Be Successful

I have never met a person who likes to be micromanaged. You have a preferred leadership style. It will be the one you use when you are stressed or against a deadline.

The seven primary leadership styles are:

From the above, you will note that the Utilitarian leader drives the workplace to maximize the greatest number of tasks carried out from the greatest number of employees. However, this leadership style is more prone to micromanaging than other leadership styles. ‘It’s my way or the highway.’ As a leader, you need to understand your naturally preferred style and the leadership competencies required for your role. Then use your strengths and manage your challenges.

No one wants to work for a micromanager, let alone enjoys it. Let your team know the outcome you are looking for and then leave them to get on with it. While you must check-in periodically, you need to give them the room to do the work as they see fit to meet the outcome requirements.

Support When Needed

Once a team member is up and running, all you need to do is to supply encouragement and support when needed. The path to success is not a straight line. There will be many twists, turns and pitfalls. Help your folks navigate them. This approach will help to keep them and you on the path to success.

It is daunting for people to ask for help. However, a big part of that safe environment you created is getting staff to feel comfortable asking for your help before you must intervene. A good measure of success for you as a leader is that your people as for help more than eighty percent of the time. Track your ratio.

Let the team members that you would prefer that they would ask for help at a point in time when you can do something to aid them. Let them know, when they wait too long, they are preventing you from doing your job.

Ensure your team members all know that you are there to help them. Moreover, he or she is welcome to approach you if they have a critical problem that they need help with.

Supply Learning Feedback

I am a massive fan of recognition. Celebrate success. Meaningful praise is one of the best tools in a leader’s toolbox. It costs nothing, and the returns can be significant.

Use learning feedback rather than positive feedback. It is more valuable than positive feedback — it is feedback that your teams can use. For example, the praise you supply is something they can use to motivate themselves. This is useful feedback.

Criticism does not fall into the learning feedback category — even if when passed off as constructive criticism. Your goal should be to give learning feedback, provide them with advice on what they can do better next time rather than dwelling on any mistake or inferior performance. You are as much a coach as you are a manager. An essential part of your position is to improve the people in your team, and criticism does not improve anything.

It is rare that you get to select your team. You tend to inherit the team that is in place. So, there are likely to be some historical issues. Accordingly, think about tomorrow, and the future. Do not wish for a different team. Do not think about what you could do if you had a different team.

When giving learning feedback is feedforward. Advise how the team member can do it better next time.

Concluding Thoughts

No one is perfect. However, there is good in all people. Everyone on your team has unique behavioural strengths. As the boss, you need to discover what makes them tick — their behavioural DNA. You need to give the purpose and find a way for them to be fulfilled at work.

Change the lenses you see your team members through to look at the reasons why you would (and will) respect, admire, appreciate, and value them. You do not ignore errors or mistakes. You want your team members to grow and improve. Look for the reasons to respect them, in spite of their shortcomings and show them appreciation.

They want you to respect them. However, you need to be genuine and consistent. Leaders go first and show the way. Your team will reciprocate. It is unlikely that respecting each team member guarantee success. However, it vastly improves your chances.

There are numerous things leaders want from their followers. You will get most of your staff when you first respect those you want to follow you.

Employees work hard for leaders they feel that you have their best interests at heart. That means providing your team with the elements they want more than anything else: respect, job instruction, independence, information, a safe environment, recognition, learning feedback, and having a leader instead of a boss. If you can incorporate these things into your leadership style, not only will it make you a superior leader, it will make your team better. You will achieve better results, and that will make you a leader that people want to work for and one that they wish to work for their companies.