10 leadership strategies to improve team performance
Leadership roles are essential within all organisations, as regardless of the industry you work, competent managers are necessary to lead their teams towards company objectives. Leadership strategies help managers and senior leadership teams inspire employees. Learning about different approaches can help you excel in your management career. In this article, we discuss what leadership strategies are, share examples of different strategies and discuss the pros and cons of each.
What are leadership strategies?
A leadership strategy outlines the style of leadership within a company. It ensures the work of leaders within an organisation aligns with the business' goals. While you may focus on one particular leadership strategy in your management style, understanding the advantages of different strategies can help you incorporate a variety of approaches into your work. Different workplaces, departments and team members require unique leadership styles, which is why understanding the various types can help you in your professional career.
Leadership strategies to improve your team's performance
Successful managers can influence others' actions and improve their team's performance. Using various strategies can help managers best engage their teams, as individual team members may respond better to certain strategies than others. Some strategies for managers to implement include:
1. Become a visionary
Having a clear vision for the future of your team, department or company is essential for aspirational leaders. Looking ahead to the long-term success of your team not only creates a drive for you to perform well as a manager, and can also inspire team members to work towards this future goal. Ideal goals are attainable, measurable and clearly defined so that you can communicate your vision to others and align your department's actions with a long-term purpose. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros
engages long-term thinking
communicates a clear ambition for teams to work towards
creates a broad departmental goal
Cons
could encourage too much idealism
members may disagree with the vision
excessive long-term thinking may distract from short-term tasks
2. Define and articulate your vision
Articulating, discussing and defining your vision for the team and department is one of the basic tenets of being a manager. It's crucial that all team members feel a commitment to a specific vision to encourage productivity and meaningful contribution. Effective managers explain their vision concisely and make it relatable to the department to ensure that team members understand what's expected of them. When possible, they create an actionable roadmap that helps the team envision how to achieve their vision. Consider these pros and cons:
Pros
helps team members understand the vision
compartmentalises the vision and makes it relatable to all team members
creates helpful debate and discussion
Cons
team members may influence the vision without strong leadership
those who disagree may experience a dip in productivity
a vision without an actionable roadmap may feel useless to the department
3. Recognise others' achievements
Positive reinforcement is an effective way of boosting morale and encouraging team members to contribute productively to the best of their abilities. Recognising others' achievements and praising them for their efforts motivates them to continue working as they have been.
A happy employee inspires others and finds creative ways to increase their productive output to acquire even more positive praise. An environment of positivity, recognition and rewards creates a work atmosphere where people want to work. Consider these pros and cons of recognising others' achievements:
Pros
positive praise encourages team members to contribute
recognition validates an employee's efforts
makes team members feel like valued employees
Cons
incorrectly delegated praise may lead to favouritism
other team members may experience negative reactions to someone receiving praise
some individuals may lie about their contributions to receive recognition
4. Encourage two-way communication
Communication is a crucial aspect of any workplace environment, and receiving feedback as a manager can help them develop themselves and learn from any mistakes. Since managers delegate tasks, give critiques and praise and act as a foundation that enables team members to contribute effectively, they may forget that feedback from their team can help them improve as leaders.
When departments engage in two-way communication, they can work more honestly and exchange ideas efficiently. This creates an atmosphere of camaraderie as everyone feels their voice is heard. Here are the pros and cons to consider:
Pros
two-way communication makes team members feel valued
managers receive earnest feedback on their leadership
creates an honest and communicative work environment
Cons
potential for harsh feedback to insult employees or managers
communication may evolve into a distracting and playful atmosphere
some team members may not appreciate communicating at work
5. Maintain integrity
Maintaining integrity, leading a team in conjunction with the organisation's values and morals, and establishing strong working morale are important responsibilities of a manager. When employees see the manager as a foundation on which they can base their own behaviour, work ethic and productivity, the manager becomes a source of inspiration. To maintain integrity within a department, it's essential that the manager embodies the organisation's values and perpetuates them in all circumstances. Some pros and cons include:
Pros
instils the organisation's values into a department
ensures all team members understand their objectives
establishes a foundation that employees can refer to
Cons
undisciplined managers may maintain incorrect values
some managers may adopt a hard approach to employees
team members may not listen to the leader
6. Lead by example
Leaders, by definition, show those they lead how to behave, contribute and work in a similar way to them. If a manager does not have much practical experience or a strong grasp of strategies, they may appear weak or inexperienced, which may introduce negative feelings amongst their team.
Some leaders may adopt a knowledge-forward approach to help their team through their experience and knowledge. Others may choose a man-management style of leading by example that uses interpersonal skills to encourage an individual to perform their best. Some pros and cons may include:
Pros
demonstrates to the team how to work
uses practical knowledge and interpersonal skill to develop employees
allows team members to use the manager as a source of inspiration
Cons
inexperienced or unknowledgeable managers may struggle
leaders who lack interpersonal skills may not inspire team members
some may lead by an incorrect example
7. Delegate and empower your team
Good leaders can delegate tasks appropriately amongst their team members to empower them and encourage each individual's strength. Understanding each employee's strengths and weaknesses allows the manager to assess who would excel on a specific assignment. There's a higher overall quality of work when employees contribute to a task they feel comfortable with. Consider these pros and cons when considering empowering and delegating to your team:
Pros
employees contribute more efficiently on tasks they feel comfortable with
leaders have a clear idea of who is working on what
the team feels empowered as everyone contributes efficiently
Cons
managers may delegate work incorrectly
lack of understanding of employees creates a disjointed work dynamic
some team members may want more autonomy over their work
8. Encourage growth and development
A good leader allows those he leads to develop and grow to reach their full potential. Many team members enjoy the feeling of developing as a professional, and it's a leader's duty to nurture that growth. When employees feel a tangible development, they feel as if they are contributing value to the organisation, which creates a more mutually beneficial work arrangement. Here are pros and cons to consider:
Pros
Creates positive work environments
Nurtures employees to develop their professional careers
Organisations benefit from increased quality in production
Cons
Team members may leave the organisation
Some may feel left behind
Some team members may develop a superiority complex
9. Pursue continuous learning
No matter how far an individual goes in life, learning is a constant that helps them achieve their goals as they grow. Leaders encourage those who work in their departments to pursue continuous learning so they can develop their careers further. This establishes a positive habit of a willingness to learn despite the circumstances. Consider these pros and cons:
Pros
employees can learn no matter the situation
learning leads to the development of skills
employees can raise their standard of work
Cons
individuals may choose to learn about unrelated topics
some may feel overwhelmed with information
employees may not want to engage in supplementary learning
10. Be assertive, not aggressive
All leaders experience a moment that requires assertiveness, but some may cross boundaries and become aggressive. There is a clear distinction between assertiveness and aggressiveness, where the former disciplines through constructive means, while the latter decrease morale unnecessarily. Good leaders push team members assertively when necessary and do so calmly and through language that enforces positivity and support. Here are the pros and cons to consider:
Pros
shows strong leadership skills
disciplines employees constructively
creates a distinct hierarchy of respect
Cons
some may not understand the difference
anger creates a hostile environment
may ruin work relationships if aggressive