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5 Tips on How to Be a Better Team Leader.

A team is only as strong as its team leader.

A strong team and great relationships with your crew members (even if it’s only one!) are important! Why? Lost crew members mean lost revenue. It takes time to retrain and jobs take longer when you lose good people. Good employee relationships result in fewer headaches for you and better employee retention. Customers pick up on it, too! Your customers can tell if you’re running a smooth, happy ship. Here are 5 tips on keeping your team engaged and on board.

1. Value their opinions & implement their ideas

We talk about this in-depth at Zero Failures Business Focus. Your people want to feel included, valued, appreciated, and recognized. Regardless of who your team includes, be sure of this: they want to feel heard and empowered to make improvements. Encourage dialogue with and between your team. Don’t just ask about the little things. Ask your team’s opinion in strategic decisions, as well. While it doesn’t obligate you to apply their thoughts and ideas, those closest to the work often have some of the best ideas about that work.  Keep yourself humble and expect to gain new insight as they help you view things from a different perspective.

2. Make sure your team understands the business mission and vision

Fact: people will work harder when they know what they’re working toward! Make sure your team understands the business’s goals, mission, and vision. More importantly, make sure they understand specifically how they fit into and contribute to it.

3. Give recognition!

Who doesn’t appreciate an accolade or two? Recognizing your team for a job well done isn’t limited to financial compensation. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple “thank you” or small, unexpected reward like sending them home early on a Friday afternoon to start the weekend, just to say, “Great job and thank you.”  Little bits of recognition will result in a team that works harder for you and with you!

4. Keep things balanced.

Study after study shows that when asked what makes work rewarding, most people will answer:

  1. Earning a good wage
  2. Feeling important to the business (we already covered this one!)
  3. Having a proper work-life balance

Work-life balance matters. Creating a work environment that promotes work-life balance and flexibility ultimately helps create a strong team. It’s hard to do this in the busy summer months when you’re dependent on weather to get work done and have to work hard when the weather is nice! Find little ways to help your team find that balance.

5. Help employees grow & develop their skills

Most employees don’t want to be stuck in the same position forever and truly desire growth in their workplace. Does your employee want specific training to increase their skill set? Help them figure out how to go after and obtain it. Does an entry-level employee aspire to be a manager? Sit down with them to develop a specific and clear plan to obtain the skills needed to achieve that goal. Remember, the best leaders are the ones who raise up employees to replace them. Don’t be afraid to help your employees grow!


All of these tips seem simple enough, but actually implementing them can be difficult. Plan to join us at Sashco’s Zero Failures Business Focus class where we go in-depth on ways to take your business — and your crew — to the next level.