My principles or what leadership means to me
I have had 14 different supervisors in my 12+ years of work – 9 of them at my current company where I’ve been working since 6 years. The way of leadership, experience and personality varied with each of them. I have learned something from each of them and taken something with me – be it ways of thinking or acting that I would like to implement in the same way and also some that I would like to do differently.
So it is an absolute no-go for me to lead with fear and anxiety to show my power. I have experienced it myself and no one should be afraid of anyone – respect of course but fear? No!
Another absolute and unfortunately widespread phenomenon is to keep people small. Why don’t we encourage our team members more and give them the space to grow? Why don’t we trust them and sometimes give them a push into the cold water so that they can learn and grow? Is this not the way how leaders can improve and learn as well?
I sometimes have the feeling that people are kept down because their manager is afraid that the person could be better than them or they see their position in danger. But the fact is that there will be always someone who is better than you at something. We got this position for a reason, to lead and develop our team members, to bring projects to success and to contribute to the success of the company. The way I see it, the stronger and better my team members become the stronger and more successful our team becomes. And of course, it is sometimes challenging when you bring in strong characters but knowing that you have contributed to their development fills me with pride!
My principles on how to lead my team are based on my own experiences as well as books and articles I have read about leadership. They are neither scientific nor do they have to work for everyone. I act very much intuitively and would like to provide here my experience and approaches. And I am happy if it gives one or the other some food for thought or ideas for their team.
My principles:
- Let your team shine
- Every team member, no matter what rank and status, has an impact
- Nobody is Perfect
- Everybody can learn from everybody
- We support each other
- Disagree & Commit
- Believe more in your people than they believe in themselves
Let your team shine
This saying and approach appears in many articles and books about modern leadership & team management. The focus is no longer on oneself but on the team – on each individual. If we have spent most of our careers being in the foreground, leading important projects, showing that we have the knowledge and skills to tackle certain issues and find solutions, we should now do the opposite – stay in the background. It’s not about you as a single person any more – It’s about your team!
Every team member has an impact!
Sounds logical and so simple but how often have we experienced leaders who treat team members differently because of their rank or forget to show the youngest in the team that their work is valued and important. In my professional life, I myself have had to listen to the indignant „What impact can juniors have?“ A lot! A lot! I had the opinion very early that the heroes who keep a company running are all the interns, working students and juniors. They keep your back free by taking over operational tasks in order for you to pursue other tasks. Imagine if all interns, working students and juniors were given two days off – so many things would no longer work or would be left undone. That doesn’t mean that everyone else isn’t important, but we tend to forget the lowest in the chain.
Nobody is Perfect
Mistakes are human and happen to everyone. I like to tell my team that mistakes should be seen as opportunities. After all, isn’t every mistake we make an opportunity to do better next time? Or that we can optimize something in the process or product? And don’t some mistakes also show that we have shown courage to do something even though we didn’t know all the facts or had all the skills at that time? Very often we forget that we have learned so much during the process and that of course we might have made a different decision at a later point in time with all the knowledge we have learned.
Everyone can learn from everyone
Just because someone may have been in the job longer and may have more professional experience, doesn’t mean they can’t learn something from people who have less or different experience. And that includes all leaders as well ! With this basic rule, I try to make my team aware that there are many ways to do something or solve a problem. Just because we have always done something this way doesn’t mean there might not be another or even better way. Just because someone does something differently does not mean it is wrong. If we approach others with a certain openness and look at how someone does something, in my experience you can only win!
We support each other
I try to role model a certain hands-on mentality. If someone needs help and everyone is too busy at the moment, I jump in and help out myself. And that’s exactly what I expect from each of my team members, whether senior, manager, junior or working student. We help each other regardless of rank and title. And yes, it can be a case of doing mindless operational work – but to be honest, it can sometimes be very refreshing and you get a deeper insight into what operational work is done day in, day out.
Disagree and Commit
One of my favorite principles that the company I work for operates by. It requires that you respect everyone and show tolerance for the opinions of others. Especially in an intercultural team or company, this is unavoidable. After all, we were all shaped by certain experiences and values due to our childhood and culture. I don’t have to agree with every opinion, but I have to help to find a compromise so that it doesn’t come to a stagnation. You can only do that if you try to understand the other side and work out what is important to you.
Believe more in your people than they believe in themselves
Nothing is as powerful as a Team Lead’s trust and belief in you. It can literally move mountains, push your limits and boost your self-confidence. Believe in each and every team member, in their capabilities, their potential and tell them so. Show your appreciation by taking time to listen to them, giving honest and constructive feedback, and praising them when they do something well. You will be amazed at what your words and faith can do!
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