How To Inspire Your Team

Part of being a good leader and a good employer is to have the ability to inspire your team so that they do their very best (and want to do so) at all times. However, this is not a skill that everyone automatically has, and it will take some serious dedication and practice to ensure you can do it. There are some specific ways that the best leaders are able to really inspire their teams into working as hard as possible for the best results, and understanding what these ways are and how to implement them is a crucial part of leadership. Read on to find out what just some of the tips are. 

How To Inspire Your Team

Be Friendly – But Not Too Friendly 

If you have ever had a boss who was frightening, who shouted a lot, who could never be pleased with anything that was going on or anything that anyone did for them, you will know that this is not inspiring at all. Shouting and yelling, criticizing constantly, and otherwise being a distant kind of ‘leader’ is not inspiring at all and will actually cause people to be less productive, only doing what they are told to do, for fear of getting things wrong. 

However, things can go too far the other way; a boss who is too friendly and who has no authority isn’t very inspiring either, and employees will soon find they have no real leadership, even when they want it. 

Therefore, you must tread a fine line to ensure that you are a friendly leader, but one who is not afraid to be stricter and be an authority where necessary. One way to do this is to find out more about your employees, and let them know more about you – having things in common can be a good way to bond, so if you enjoy a particular sport, if you have a specific hobby, or there is a TV show or music group you love, let them know. 

Include Them In The Big Decisions 

Something that can really cause a problem when you are trying to inspire a team is when that team is not included in making any big decisions. Finding that things have been changed that directly affect them but that they weren’t included in the decision to make that change can be very disheartening and can make that person feel unimportant or unnecessary. It might even lead them to start looking for a new job. 

If you can keep everyone involved in decision-making, even if you still have the final say as the boss, this is a great way to inspire people. You will show that you value their opinions and that you listen to your team. 

Trust Them 

Linked with the above idea, showing trust in your team will definitely inspire them to work harder and do more. They will feel empowered and motivated to do well if you can show them that you not only trust their opinions and ideas, but that you trust them to work by themselves, making the right decisions. 

This can be hard for a business owner to do, especially if they are used to making all the decisions in the business, but it is a necessary step for inspiring your team and growing your business.

Lead By Example

It’s critical to be a leader in whatever relationship you’re attempting to establish with your team. It’s nice to be loved by your coworkers, but you’re not one of them – you’re the boss. That means you’ll have to be tough on your employees at times and issue reprimands. If you’re too close to them, it’ll be much more difficult (for both of you) than it needs to be. 

It’s important to set a good example for your employees so that they see you standing up for them, making choices, and doing what is best for the business rather than constantly seeking to make friends. An example of what you can do is look into time clock solutions for small businesses and ensure you use the time clock just as you would expect everyone else to. This will instill respect in your staff, and although you may not be best friends with them, you will have a particular relationship with them. Furthermore, people will want to comply since they know your motives are good.

Set High Expectations 

Setting high expectations may not seem to be a good way to create a connection with your team; it could even appear to be telling them that they must work harder than they thought. But that’s exactly the point. Setting high expectations means informing your staff that they must work hard, but it also means supporting them and believing in their ability to do so. It makes a big difference to let them know that although what you’re asking them to do seems difficult and may be a slog, you know they can do it and do it well. 

They’ll like the feeling that your belief in them provides, and they’ll want to prove to you they can do it. These two factors, when combined, will offer them a favorable impression of your leadership and help you quickly establish that much-needed rapport.