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Sometimes the best leadership tips aren’t about you: they’re about what you can do for your team.  Setting your ego aside and thinking of ways to empower your team will actually make you a better leader in the end.  When your group can be the best versions of themselves, they’ll be better able to support your vision.

Here are 4 ways to have your own ego take a back seat while you empower your team for greatness.  

Leadership tips for empowering your team.

1.  Learn to see the potential for each team member.

Expect the best from every individual on your team, and seek it out as well.  It’s how you can support their growth at work, which makes for a stronger team.  Find something in each employee that you can help them develop towards greatness.

This has been shown over and over to be far more effective than leading by intimidation or apathy about people’s strengths.

One of the ways of doing this is to recognize diversity on your team.  What that means has nothing to do with race or gender.  It’s more of a diversity in working styles.  Each team member is unique, communicates in unique ways, and offers unique talent to the group.  Recognizing this is a matter of appreciating that diversity and using it to your advantage. 

2.  Invest in your team.  Don’t wait around, either. 

Is there ever a time at work when you’re not busy?  Waiting for the “right time” to put time and money into developing your team means it may never happen. No matter how crazy things are at work, never neglect ways to invest in the growth of your team.

Training, team building, and development programs are good investments.  Your people are your most valuable asset because without them you are nowhere.  Investing in their growth means they’re far more likely to do their best at work, and think like a real team rather than merely a group of employees.  Think in terms of long-term relationships, even if the employees don’t stick around forever.  

3.  Recognize your team members’ strengths. 

One of the best leadership tips out there is to harness the power of acknowledgment to motivate.  When employees shine, take the time to personally make your appreciation known individually.  Telling the group about it is good, but personal praise works best.

When employees know you recognize their strengths, they are likely to work harder to live up to the impression of greatness they’ve made on you.

4.  Approach criticism from a “happy place”.

Sometimes you have to acknowledge weakness, too.  When you do, try and present the criticism as truly constructive.  That means talking about all the potential you see after the employee “fixes” whatever weakness they have.  It’s really about viewing a weakness as a behavior, and not as who they are.  
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