Supporting and Encouraging Your Team

• “What distinguishes the best-performing teams from the poorest-performing teams is a climate in which people feel safe in being open.
• Creating more openness on your team starts with you opening up to your team.
• When you are willing to admit mistakes, you are often seen as more capable, intelligent, and even more credible. People relate to and are more connected to people who seem more human.
• Admitting mistakes, saying you are sorry, asking for help, asking for input, and asking for feedback not only improves your relationships with those you lead but also gives permission for others to humbly do the same.
• Team norms give those you lead permission to take risks and respectfully express how they feel; to passionately disagree, to provide bold, direct, and honest feedback; and to courageously contribute ideas.
• Supporting, encouraging, and mining ensure that openness is embraced and adopted by those you lead (p. 125-126).”

From: Rogers, M. G. (2020). Do you care enough to lead? a 5-part formula for creating loyal and results-focused teams and organizations. (e-book). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Questions for reflection:

• What can you do as a leader to create a space in which your team feels safe in being open?
• How can being open improve your reputation as a leader?
• How could more support and encouragement improve your overall team dynamic?