Leading Teams on a Shoestring (Pt. 2)
In the first Leading Teams on a Shoestring article, I dove into the challenges of leading teams while short on resources. I highlighted how Curiosity, as a leadership principle, can help create thriving teams.
The second no-cost leadership principle is Trust. When there’s trust, people feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best efforts.
From my perspective, trust matters simply because we spend so much of our lives at work. It’s a long time to feel uncertain and unsafe. This is a big topic, and for many folks it’s an unfortunate reality that trust does not seem possible.
Some of the benefits that accompany higher levels of trust include:
Fostering Psychological Safety: Trust helps support an environment where people feel comfortable expressing their ideas, sharing concerns, and taking calculated risks. Leaders trusting their teams signal that it's ok to speak up, innovate, and experiment without fear of judgment or reprisal.
Enhancing Collaboration and Communication: Trust strengthens open communication among team members. And when leaders trust their teams, they encourage transparency, honesty, and constructive dialogue.
Contact me to chat about how coaching can help you build trust within your team.
Empowering and Motivating Employees: Trust empowers employees by giving them autonomy and ownership over their work. When leaders trust their teams to make decisions and take initiative, it demonstrates confidence in their abilities.
Improving Retention: People who feel trusted are more likely to stay with their organization, reducing turnover rates and preserving institutional knowledge.
Driving Organizational Success: Trust enables leaders to delegate effectively, enabling teams to take on new challenges. By trusting their teams, leaders can focus on strategic initiatives, knowing that their team members have the skills, expertise, and commitment to deliver results.
HOW TO BUILD TRUST
Allow Mistakes: Aim to create an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities rather than failures. This encourages innovation while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Provide Flexibility: Allow flexibility in how your teams manage their work and time. Instead of enforcing strict work hours, consider allowing people to set their schedules based on their productivity patterns or caregiving needs.
Delegate Responsibility: Trusting your team involves delegating without micromanaging. Leaders can provide clear objectives and expectations but allow individuals the autonomy to determine how to approach and execute a project.
Transparent Communication: Trusting leaders prioritize transparent communication with their teams, sharing information, updates, and feedback openly. Regular team meetings are a good opportunity to discuss updates, challenges, and upcoming initiatives, while encouraging people to ask questions and share their perspectives.
Leading Teams on a Shoestring will be an ongoing series in Leadership Learnings. Sign up for the newsletter to get the next issue delivered straight to you.