There are two types of leadership—“me” and “we.” Where do you fall? Do you like your office door closed, no distractions allowed? Or do you prefer your door open, interruptions welcome?
Beware that by tucking yourself away in the corner office, you are isolating yourself… and successful leadership requires collaboration, the opposite of isolation. So if you’re about to lock the door behind you, think instead about leaving it open, literally and figuratively—shift from that detrimental “me” space to the more effective “we” space.
Effectively connecting with your team is more than paying lip service or showing your face on your way in or out of the building. Working in a truly collaborative way means understanding why you need to be a part of your team, rather than being apart from it.
If you are used to operating from a place of “This is my idea, my project, outcome, my result and my credit,” it can be incredibly difficult to switch your mindset. But the business landscape has, and will, continue to change at a rapid rate—and you are only one person. You would need to be superhuman to be able to grasp every aspect of what is necessary to survive. Your team is absolutely essential to continuing success. As a team, you have the complete skillset to turn average work into expert work—to turn threats into opportunities.
Try taking these small steps to make the transition:
1. Fix the working environment.
Don’t set yourself up in a cushy corner office with closed walls. Studies have shown that working within a collaborative physical environment actually improves team engagement and drives results. Why? Because collaborative workspaces engender a sense of belonging and a feeling that nobody is excluded from the big decisions that will affect the whole team.
(This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a need for thoughtful “outspaces,” which allow for privacy and quiet and the chance to create and reflect.)
2. Be vulnerable.
Allowing yourself to show weakness in front of your team is not weak—it is strong. It can and will lead to reconnection.
If you are able to admit when you have made a less-than-stellar decision or that you are having trouble reaching a successful solution to a problem and need assistance, you will create trust. Opening up gives your team an assumed “permission” to speak up and admit if they need assistance, too. It also opens the opportunity for them to showcase skills you might not have recognized or acknowledged in the past.
3. Give credit where it’s due.
Too often, it is easy for a leader to stand solo in the spotlight, leaving the team in the shadows. That attitude creates an internal disconnect—and therefore a lack of trust and an unwillingness to give 100 percent to future projects.
Make sure that you are adequately acknowledging when your team members are the ones responsible for a result, whether that is an idea or a product. When someone adds value, it is essential to acknowledge that contribution—and to do it publicly.
4. Be brave.
Be willing to take risks for the benefit of your team—even if they may not necessarily benefit you in the short-term. Your team will see not just a leader but someone who has their collective interests at heart.
This requires a degree of business bravery. Think about this: How does your team currently view you? As someone who stands up for their best interests, or as someone who pushes everyone out of the way for the lifeboats?
Take a leap—not for those lifeboats, but for your team.
Resources: success.net