3 Key Steps to Becoming a Truly Remarkable Leader

When you really get down to it, being a good leader means truly caring about the people you’re leading so that they can bring out their best. Of course, caring about your people seems so obvious. Every leader must communicate that they care about their people. But caring is about actions, not just words. 

Do you know your team members? Not just their name and job title, but really know them?

Let me tell you a story about a large healthcare client I’ve worked with. As part of an internal university they’ve created, every clinic manager is invited to attend a five-day personal and management development program. It’s a remarkable investment in their team members, and it communicates right off the bat that they matter, that they are worthy of such an investment. 

Mid-week during the program, the CEO stops by to do a “town hall” where he’ll share information and field questions from the group about whatever is on the top of their minds at that time. More importantly, he communicates that he cares about each and every one of those managers attending the five-day intensive. He remembers their name and important details about who they are. He helps them connect the dots between what they are doing in their jobs and the bigger picture of the company and its mission. And finally, he emphasizes and measures what matters—lives touched, patient stories shared, acknowledgment freely offered. After all, these are the things, in addition to more traditional metrics, that make a person’s job more fulfilling. And all of these actions add up to great team leadership. 

When you really get down to it, being a good team leader isn’t about your results and your sales and your customers — that’s all you-focused, and we all know that narcissistic managers are no fun to work for. Being a good leader means truly caring about the people you’re leading so that they can bring out their best. Of course, caring about your people seems so obvious. Every leader must communicate that they care about their people. But caring is about actions, not just words. 

The Power of “Heads-Up” Thinking

So let’s get back to that big question. How well do you know your team members? Beyond their role at work, do you know what they care about, what motivates them, what causes them to lose heart? Do you spend more time listening than talking with your team? Because this is how to learn — by listening. 

Here’s why this matters: If you know your team, then you will be able to infuse more safety into their work environment. You’ll make it safe for them to show up and fully be themselves. They’ll know it’s OK for them to bring their concerns, their strengths, their vulnerabilities, and their creativity. Believe me, you want this. When your team trusts you and knows you care about them, they will be willing to try new things, innovate, and go the extra mile. They’ll bring their all and know that you have their back and will stand by them. 

Many team leaders are so busy getting work done that they don’t look up and out at the bigger picture. This is true of most team members, too. We lose the forest for the trees. Your job as a great leader of teams is to learn about your people and connect each of them to the big idea, the big why that you’re all giving your time and talent to, and to then bring this big thinking to your team meetings so you can help everyone remember the larger context. 

I call this “heads-up” thinking. Team members who look up and see the big picture are more connected to the part they play in the delivery of the mission, vision, and values. And this tends to fuel greater inspiration, motivation, and drive. 

My experience is that people want to do something good with their days and months and lives. When you really get to know your team members, I’m confident you’ll find the same is true for them. So help them remember what the good is. 

Accelerating Your Team Leadership

Great team leaders know that leadership is a continual journey of discovery and growth. You can always take steps to become a better leader of people. Take a page from the healthcare CEO’s playbook and start with these three tips to accelerate your team leadership:

1.    Show your people you care about them. Don’t just talk about it; do it. Invest in your team with training and development. Show interest in people’s lives. Ask questions and really listen. Remember important information such as birthdays, anniversary dates, the names of family members, important events in the lives of your team. Make a personal connection with every member of your team. Stretch yourself to learn something new about someone every day. Meet all new team members as they come on board. And if this puts you outside your comfort zone, that’s OK. Make the point to do it anyway. The end result will be a more engaged team.

2.    Help your team members connect the dots. Ask your employees what they believe their impact is in the organization. Share with them the impact you know they make. We all want to know that what we do matters, that our time, energy and creativity add up to something important. Help each person who works for you see the difference they make. They’ll be more invested in the work and achieving the big goals.

3.    Take time to measure what matters. Most things that are being measured at work are meaningless for individual team members. The bottom line is helpful for senior leaders and investors, but not so much for a front-line supervisor. I learned about measuring what matters from team leadership guru Patrick Lencioni, who helps his clients identify what matters most to every job or role in an organization. For example, in a restaurant, what might matter to a waiter is the number of smiles they get from their patrons. Of course, tips matter and number of tables turned over efficiently matters, but so do smiles and happy people leaving the restaurant. They’re all part of measuring what matters. Help your employees measure what matters to them. How can they know at the end of a day that they were successful? Coming up with the metrics that matter will take some time with each one of your employees, but it will be worth it.

The journey to remarkable team leadership is deeply satisfying. You’ll get to know some great people — your team members — and become a better human being in the process. Start small and try any one of the three tips. Your team will thank you.

Previously published on Forbes