Written by: Trudy Bateman, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Effective leaders inspire teams to produce great work. Good leaders will listen, give clear direction, and will work to help remove challenges and barriers. Good habits can create great leaders, and thankfully they can be something that people can develop.
Here are 5 great habits you can work on today to become an effective leader with strengths:
1. Improve flexibility
According to Gartner, employers who don’t offer flexibility are at risk of being left behind this year. With more companies offering hybrid or fully remote roles to their workforce, leaders who cultivate a sense of trust and support within their organization can potentially boost their retention and talent acquisition.
Adopting a strengths-based culture will help teams come together and feel connected as they share the same language and are open and honest about what works for them.
2. Show appreciation
A huge 79% of US employees will quit due to a lack of appreciation. It may not be on your list of strengths but acknowledging others for a job well done is a great morale and confidence booster. It also helps team members understand what you value on projects, such as good communication or punctuality, and will promote this way of working in the future. It’s important to do this authentically, so think about which strengths help you show appreciation.
3. Develop your own skills
It’s within your team’s interests to make your own development a focus. Consider regular leadership training alongside webinars or LinkedIn learning courses that offer new ideas for developing and managing your people. Keeping up-to-date with your Strengths Profile is a good way to maintain your self-awareness and develop more of what you do well to be an effective leader. Be known for a few things executing well, rather than a lot of averages.
4. Build trust and cultivate support
Demonstrating trust in your team creates a happier and more productive environment for all. Get comfortable with letting go and allowing others to get on with projects but let them know you’re there if they need help. You’ll be more confident in this autonomy if your teams are all working on projects using their strengths.
Closer teams will be comfortable reaching out to others when they need extra support, so it’s worth looking at opportunities to deepen relationships between team members and yourself. Create a safe environment where weaknesses are discussed as this allows for other team members to step up to support when they have these as strengths.
5. Understand how your teams work
Understanding your team is important when considering new projects and deadlines. Good leaders look for ways to grow their ability to work with different personality styles and approaches. Exploring your team’s strengths will help with planning decisions and maximizing success, so take the time to get to grips with your team’s Profile data.
If you’d like to find out more about how to identify and utilize your team’s strengths, take a look at our Strengths Team Profile. It’s perfect for leaders who want to encourage strengths use within their teams to increase engagement and performance.
Trudy Bateman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Trudy Bateman is an expert in strengths and their applications. As Director of Strengths Profile, Trudy works with coaches, organizations, and universities to help them understand the strengths of their people, so they can develop them – ensuring not just a successful career, but one they love. Having led the team responsible for the implementation of successful product strategy and delivery of strengths-based assessments for over 13 years, Trudy has delivered thousands of strengths solutions through coaching, facilitating, and consulting, including the accreditation of over 3,000 Strengths Profile practitioners. She is a key speaker, author of The Strengths Profile Book, and resident expert in strengths.
