How to Get Your Team to Encourage The Leader

Leading a small business can be a pretty thankless job at times. And that’s too bad. Because leaders need praise too! Leader’s need to hear “Good job!”

Encouragement isn’t a one-way street, as many team members think. As a leader, you are expected to bring the good things to your team, and keep the bad things away. So, just doing your job isn’t enough to earn praise from your team. Or, is it?

You see, I think your team members would encourage you if they knew it was “ok.”

Here’s my theory, I believe that most team members think the leader doesn’t want to hear their followers say “Well done.” And, I think a team member would find it very uncomfortable to say “good job” to a person that has authority over him.

Now, this is a big problem if you ask me. As a leader, you get very few “Atta boys” from your team members. That’s a shame because most of your thoughts are centered on the well being of your team.

How a Good Leader Thinks

• “How can I get my team better benefits?”
• “How can I help my team get the home of their dreams?”
• “How can I help my team be happier at work?”
• “I wonder if my team knows how hard I work for them?”

As a leader, I’m sure you’ve had these thoughts. See, you realize that a happy team is a productive team.

Yet, I bet that you don’t communicate these thoughts to your team. And if you are not communicating your meaning, then I bet your team doesn’t even know you have these thoughts.

How a Team Thinks the Leader Thinks

• “How can I get  my team  better benefits?”
• “How can I help my team get the home of their my dreams?”
• “How can I help my team be happier at work?”
• “I wonder if my boss team knows how hard I work for them him?”

When a team is not aligned with good intentions, then gossip and backbiting will set in. Gossip and backbiting are like cancer and poison. They will kill a company.

Today, I want to give you some tips that will create an environment of appreciation and support from your team.

How to Get Your Team to Encourage The Leader

1. Be An Example: your team will do what you do. If you want to build a culture that uplifts you, then be the first to uplift them.
2. Stop Gossip: a guilty person will never give genuine praise, and gossipers are guilty of betrayal. This topic deserves deeper unpacking, and I recommend that you read the following blogs:
   1. The Negative Ant
   2. Avoiding Energy Vampires
3. Communicate Your Good Intentions: your people won’t know that you care about them until you tell them, and demonstrate your good intentions. Show them that you care.
4. Communicate Your Need For Their Support: this may not be comfortable for you. I get it! I’m a High Dominant personality, and I understand the lone ranger mentality. But, you are not a lone ranger. You are a team leader, and you need your team support. Use this video to help you get the message across to your team.

This Concept in Real Life

We practice what we preach here at SET. Now, we are not perfect at what we preach, nor claim to be, but we are pretty darn good.

The inspiration for this post came from a series of actual text messages that I had with Chris Loudermilk.

Chris sent me a few text messages pumping me up before I did a presentation for the ACA/NE ( A contractors’ association in New England.)

These messages were short but highly effective.

After I got these messages, I was ready to go. I felt great!

In return, I send out a few positive messages to my team as well.

The net result was a super positive experience for the team. And, it started with a team member encouraging his leader.

Today’s post is part of the Leading a Performance-Based Team Series by Todd Liles. This is an online series of blogs and videos that are completely free.