Author Sean Marszalek is no stranger to entrepreneurship. After owning and operating a personal fitness studio, he co-founded SDC Nutrition, Inc in 2009, where he currently serves as President and CEO. Its flagship brand, About Time, is one of the fastest growing all-natural nutrition brands in the US and can be found in over 2,000 retail locations as well as in Canada, Brazil and Australia.
It is important as an executive to be aware of your leadership techniques and management style. Take the time to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and learn from them. Improve yourself as a leader based on the needs of your team. It also helps to make yourself look human to your team. You are a leader, but you are also still part of the team as a whole. Share yourself with your team and create a culture that is collaborative and empowers your people. Here's how:
Know Your Team Members
Once you have a good understanding of your role as executive and team leader, get to know your team. By getting to know the way they work, you can help them see their worth. You can then embrace differences on the team and highlight everyone's individual strengths. Good executives identify strengths and activate that talent so that each person is contributing in the best way possible.
Team responsibilities are interconnected. Encourage your team to get to know each other better too. People who understand each other are more likely to work better together and are more successful as a whole. Your team is dependent on one another to get the job done. They need to hold each other accountable for their actions and work together to succeed. Everyone should feel comfortable expressing his or her opinions and ideas with you and the group. Diverse points of view foster creativity and innovation.
Communicate Goals
By clearly expressing goals to your team, you ensure every member understands the objective of the task or project. This way, the team is always moving towards the same goal and they understand what is expected of them. Make it clear to your team that you want them come to you with questions or concerns. If they know you are accessible as a boss, they will consult you with any issues that may arise.
Provide Feedback
It is important to communicate goals, but you need to continue to provide feedback to ensure your team knows where they stand. Make sure to give them feedback throughout the entire project, so they can improve as they go and become more efficient. Positive and constructive feedback will help the team understand your opinion of the work and encourage them to work together and feel more secure in their position, instead of constantly second-guessing.
Celebrate Success
Take a moment to step back, reflect and enjoy a job well done. Your team has accomplished your goal. It is now your turn to go through the process with them. Talk about what worked and what didn't. Things don't always run smoothly, but reflecting on a project will help you improve for next time. Show them that it is important to evaluate the work, enjoy the success and celebrate before moving on to the next project or task.