Successful leadership requires more than just assigning tasks to your team and giving out orders. It calls for a leader who can motivate team members to be the best they can be. I had to provide a clear picture of the department’s goals and communicate that directly to the team. I updated each team member’s job description to my company’s newest standard and worked closely with each team member in understanding their job duties. Harvard Business Review suggests that if you are disliked by your team, “your chance of being rated a good leader by your employees is only about one in 2,000” (Goleman, 1998). This statistic definitely highlights one of my biggest fears: being disliked by my team! The study elaborates on their findings, suggesting that “the way to influence and to lead is to begin with warmth.” (Goleman, 1998). It has been significantly noted within the research that “warmth is the conduit of influence.”(Goleman, 1998). At the start of my position, the well-known idiom, “you catch more bees with honey than vinegar” became my mantra. I knew that the tone of my voice and the way I carried out my directions to my team was important. When delivering negative feedback in a constructive way, I learned to choose my words carefully, be mindful of the tone of my voice, and to listen carefully to team members …show more content…
In exploring the best way to perform as an effective team, I draw upon interpersonal communication methods that allow team members to feel at ease in expressing their opinions. During meetings I would engage in active listening, listen to feedback, and convey positive energy through my messages. Influencers engage in active reciprocity, meaning they regularly practice the mantra: if you do something for me that I cannot do for myself, I will do something for you that you cannot do for yourself. I realized the more I provided my team in the early stages, the more they were giving back in productivity. It was really important for me to engage in this activity to build trust and be seen as kind and helpful. Compromise also becomes an integral part of decision making and a successful approach in interpersonal communication that promotes teamwork. I know that my team depended on me for guidance, and I was physically and mentally present to address concerns. I also preferred to sit amongst my team, rather than being isolated in an office (I had the choice to do so), which makes me more visible to my team members. Working side by side, in essence projects an approachable personality onto my team. I also emphasized to my team that it is ok to ask questions at any time, regardless of how trivial they may think they