If you want your team to be successful then make them successful. John Maxwell refers to what he calls “others first thinking”. Do you really think of your team first? If you think of their success becoming more important than your success, then you will see a new perspective on your role on the team.
Here are three ways to focus on your team.
1. Listen to them. This seems like the obvious first step, but you must take the time to put them first. You also must take the time to hear their ideas above your own.
2. Meet their needs. This is a tougher step. To meet their needs, you must understand what will help them be successful. Use your knowledge and skill to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the team. Evaluate the critical skills they need. If you cannot fill the void, then connect up with others that can. Provide the support they need, when it is needed.
3. Provide motivation. Teams that are struggling cannot always see the goal they strive to achieve. Maybe a connection to the mission is lacking, or it does not connect on a personal level with some of the team members. You can provide both. Express why the mission is important. Individually recognize people and why they are important to the team. People want to be successful, sometimes you need to help them connect themselves to the success.