Last week, at our Global Learning Exchange, we had the honor of connecting with many of our clients, affiliates and friends to hear many talented speakers explore how to best accelerate team performance.
One of Fred Harburg’s, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, quotes resonated with many.
“Moods and emotions are contagious.”
We’ve all been part of, or witness to, a team that has an extreme leader. Leaders can be damaging to their team by being to harsh and negative, or they can be too friendly, and almost afraid to take charge and bring focus.
In both cases, the team will likely begin to adapt to the style of the leader.
Here are some ways you can help your team.
Listen.
As the old adage says, “We have two ears and one mouth. Listen more.” Listening to your team can shed some light on the current emotional state. Are you hearing gossip? Harsh, unproductive feedback? Are choices being made out of kindness vs good business sense?
Be consistent, not perfect.
We are all human. We will not be perfect always. We will have bad days. But those instances do not make up the majority of our time as a leader. Less than amazing days come and go. Being conscious and understanding your choices around your leadership tendencies, plays a big part what habits your team sees, and takes from you.
It’s ok to be vulnerable.
Having a conversation with your team about how certain behaviors create ripples throughout the team, you can begin to remold the team’s tone. You can lead by example and starting the conversation. As Andrew Herr, CEO of International Dehydrated Foods mentioned, “Putting my strengths and opportunities out there, being a vulnerable leader, created openings for honest conversations and building trust.”
Create a new normal.
It will take time, encouragement, and accountability to shift from either extreme, but by working together, you and your team can create a new normal. The hard work you and your team do to ensure the tone of the group is supportive and productive will likely spread to teams you work with, and beyond.
As Rebecca Ray, The Conference Board, mentioned, “The tone from the top infiltrates culture.”
As a leader, which of your moods, emotions or temperaments is your team picking up on most?
If you or your team would like to take a deep dive into your team’s culture and engagement, we’d welcome the opportunity to partner with you. Give us a call at +1.847.920.0190.
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