Here's how you can motivate and engage your team members as an entry-level leader.

Establishing trust with your team is the first step in creating a happy and productive work environment as an entry-level leader. Start by acting with dependability and honesty in all you do; always keep your word and be open and honest about your choices. Actively listen to your team members' worries, offer helpful criticism, and acknowledge their accomplishments to demonstrate your sincere interest in their personal and professional development. Foster an inclusive environment where all individuals are appreciated and given a voice by promoting candid dialogue and teamwork. You will gain the respect and trust of your team by being an authentic and empathetic leader, which will encourage higher levels of engagement and motivation.

As an entry-level Leader, it could be daunting to set expectations for the team and to meet the same. Team members value a Leader who trusts and believes in them. So, a question can arise how to build Trust in a team? First, it starts with the Leader. A Leader has to exhibit openness, transparency, and integrity. The team should understand that you 'Walk the Talk' as a Leader. A nice way is to give responsibilities and delegation of tasks. This is an important aspect but mostly overlooked, appreciation. Appreciation goes a long way in creating a culture of engagement and being valued. Remember, it takes time, practice, and patience to build trust. And if you remove T from 'Trust' it becomes 'Rust'.

Be humble, listen, and observe. The team will want to know if they can trust you and at what level. It is a delicate balance to be clear that you are the leader but not above the team in terms of completing the mission. Build trust by listening to and accepting input to achieve a common goal. Share your thought process and validate as much as possible. Inform them of your final decision and ask if you need to include anything additional. This shows a collaborative environment, that you are willing to listen and implement feedback, and that you have the final say as the decision maker of the group, which is crucial for the team's sense of security and confidence.

Despite knowing that integrity is a must and that we should "always do the right thing," it is incumbent on us to show integrity in action. Integrity is foundational to our growth as a person and as a professional. Bring your personal values to work. Integrity is so important that it fosters a positive work environment, where everyone knows that all decisions and actions are based on your moral compass. The junior team needs to see that your integrity is uncompromising and a leader on this initiative, even if it is hard. "The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office." -Dwight D. Eisenhower

?Sabías que el compromiso es una obligación contraída por la palabra dada? Para que un equipo se comprometa, tiene que dar su palabra, y para que la den, tienen que responder. Ahora, ?qué hace un líder para que respondan? Sencillo: "Hacer preguntas". Cuando se trata de motivar hay que involucrar. Por lo tanto, establece metas en grupo. Pregunta qué quieren lograr. Trabaja con tu equipo para establecer objetivos alcanzables que se alineen con la visión de la empresa. Esto ayuda al equipo a sentirse parte del proceso y aumentar sus niveles de compromiso. A más compromiso, más responsabilidad, mejor desempe?o, más resultados.

Involve Your Team in Goal-Setting Engage your team in the goal-setting process to ensure they feel ownership and commitment to the objectives. This collaborative approach ensures that goals are realistic and that team members are motivated to achieve them.

Be Specific When recognizing effort, be specific about what you are praising. Instead of a generic "Good job," mention exactly what they did well. This specificity helps team members understand which behaviors and actions are valued.

Learning spirit & energy in professional context is never more alive & strong than at the start of career. At the threshold of work life - an employee’s mind is seeking opportunities to learn, grow, be noticed, appreciated & granted new avenues of learning & growth. This is much stronger a motivation than pay & benefits. Leaders should recognise & leverage such learning & growth aspirations of employees. A meaningful & productive way to motivate them for higher standards of productivity & excellence is by encouraging employees to look for & seize growth opportunities within their routine work. And use them as springboard to develop their leadership capital. What we focus on grows. Encourage employees to focus on their growth potential.

Tell stories regularly. Telling a story at work is only needed if change is required. As a new leader, the change you're looking for initially is a change in relationship. You don't know your team and they don't know you. To build that rapport with them, tell personal stories from your life and work experience. Childhood stories, stories where you were challenged, failure stories. The purpose of sharing stories is not to elevate your status, but rather to let your team know that you are a human and that you're interested in hearing their stories. Yes, the real purpose of sharing stories is that others will share theirs. Build this into your weekly routine. Be vulnerable so guards are dropped and the team can quickly become a team.

When striving to communicate more clearly, ask yourself these questions: --Am I using the right words? --Is this the correct way to communicate this? --Is this the right time to have this conversation? The key concept is that communication must be understood. An effective communicator can break down complex ideas into simple, digestible pieces. No one is interested in seeing how smart you are or how grand your vocabulary is. The best communicators understand that short and sweet sentences are exponentially better than long and complicated sentences.

A true leader is the shadow of the team. It is very important to give them the space they need along with consensus. Recognise and acknowledgement keeps them motivated.It helps in building a trust as well .

As a leader, it is essential to take the time and effort to inspire your team members and nurture their growth. Work environments that embrace servant leadership are those that prioritize taking care of employees, recognizing their contributions, and creating an inclusive culture. To maintain such an organization, one should strive to provide open communication between staff and management, ensure projects are managed well with everyone understanding their respective roles, as well as foster collaborative relationships amongst the team members.

Recognize that you are in the leadership role to help your team to deliver the best value within the constraints of the project and organization. Your job is to make the team's life easier by providing the right conditions and removing obstacles. Acknowledge your own limitations and the need for the team's full support and contribution to succeed. And, finally, beware that by taking on the leadership role you are likely to have removed the aspects of the job that your team members might have gladly and consciously given away in favor of focusing on what they actually like doing - instead. So, they may need you as much as you need them. A mutually beneficial relationship is a good base to build on.