5 Things Great Leaders Say Every Day
Whatever your leadership style, these phrases boost team engagement and bolster your reputation
We often think that it takes dramatic action to create dramatic results, but don’t discount how far subtle changes can take you as a leader. Make a plan to say each of these phrases every day to at least one person, and you’ll be shocked to see the changes in how your team works together and relates to you as their leader:
1. “Here’s what’s going on.”
Don’t underestimate the power of keeping your team in the loop. People want to know why changes are happening, and when they aren’t given a clear explanation, they often assume the worst. By helping your team understand the big picture (either an emerging situation or a new strategic goal), you tell them that their work has an important impact on the organization and you create an opportunity for them to share their insights with you. On occasion, your team members will surprise you by noticing a possible obstacle that would be overlooked by people who don’t do their work day-to-day; other times, they’ll offer brilliant and effective ideas for improvement simply because they feel like their thoughts are respected by you.
2. “What do you need?”
This is an important question for two reasons. First, because it demonstrates that you support your team member and want to provide them with every opportunity to succeed. Second, if you’re talking about what they need to hit a target or complete a new project, this gives you a chance to ensure that you’re leveraging all of your team’s skills and resources in the most efficient way.
3. “Remember our mission/values.”
Keeping the company’s mission, vision, values, and strategic plans at the forefront of your team’s mind may not seem important compared to completing daily tasks, but this is what keeps everyone pulling in the same direction. If your employees thoroughly understand what the company is doing, why, and how their own job performance impacts those goals, then they will be better decision-makers, be better equipped to prioritize work, and they’ll be more likely to freely collaborate with coworkers because they’ll feel like they’re part of the bigger effort.
4. “You can count on me” or “I trust you.”
These are two sides of the same coin. If your team can’t trust you to support them, they aren’t going to put their best effort into working under your leadership. And if you can’t trust members of your own team, they shouldn’t be on your team. When you are accountable to your team – meaning that you deliver on your promises, have their backs when they need it, and treat them with honesty and respect – they respect and value your leadership. Build your own trust in your team members by ensuring they know performance expectations, can perform up to standard, and are able to seek you out if they have questions or run into difficulties.
5. “This is my fault” or “We can do better”
Addressing a situation when things have gone wrong can be painful and awkward, but it’s necessary if you want to lead well. A lot of employees have worked in environments where workers are punished for mistakes and supervisors focus on assigning blame. This makes it difficult for employees to make timely decisions or ask for help when they need it. By acknowledging when you make mistakes and setting an example of learning from a mistake and moving on, you help create a culture of trust and collaboration. If a team member drops the ball, instead of singling them out for a good old blame-and-shame session, you can acknowledge that something went awry and pivot into fixing the situation, again reinforcing the idea that mistakes happen and the best response is to bring them to light and address the problem directly.
Don’t forget to celebrate your victories
Along with handling problems as they arise, don’t forget to bring a bit of unexpected celebration into work when things are going well. Congratulate employees for their successes and hitting career milestones. Freely offer praise when it’s deserved. The occasional gift of bagels, pizza, or ice cream can brighten your team’s attitudes, as can more expensive and long-term recognition efforts like bonuses and other formal awards.
If you’d like to learn more about leadership communication, building your skills as a supervisor, or fostering employee engagement, In Five Training has programs for you. We offer simple, practical ways to incorporate what you learn into your daily work in a way that makes a tremendous impact. In Five Training can also help you to develop custom mentorship and team building programs that bolster leadership and improve internal customer service.
