What are the most effective ways to set the tone for your team?

So that you know – your tone for your team is established on day one that you joined the group. The most significant mistake people make is adopting the "new sheriff in town" approach. This will destroy any credibility with your team as they have seen all of their bosses before you use this most hated approach. The best way to establish a culture of trust and a tone of excellence is by telling everyone you are happy to be a part of this team, you are there to let them do what they do best, you can get them the resources they need to be successful, and that it takes everyone to believe in setting the standards for the team to be successful and above reproach.

Based on my experience, building from the ground up, it is mission critical to lead but not manage, and empower with a servants-heart. In my opinion, your team's success represents your ultimate role! So, remove that obstacle, listen to that idea, help them problem-solve and create their own goals to buy in to the mission.

As a leader, your influence on your team's mood, performance, and culture is substantial. Your actions, communication, and interactions shape the way your team collaborates, tackles challenges, and accomplishes goals. To establish the right tone, lead by example, promote open and transparent communication, and adapt your leadership style to fit various situations and personalities within the team. Actively listening to your team, empowering them, offering recognition, and addressing conflicts constructively are pivotal. Flexibility, mentorship, and maintaining a positive attitude further contribute to setting a conducive tone for your team, fostering a culture of success and adaptability in the face of change and diversity.

Consistency across leadership messages Effective communication Have fun Clear expectations It's all in the communication and consistency among leaders.

I have seen this done really well, and also poorly, a common mistake is around senior managers sharing vision that is done in isolation, and not translatable to the front line workers, if you can understand how the vision at the top can translate to a very simple vision for them, that they can make a difference on, this will drive success from the ground up with a common vision and goals.

Leadership is all about showing, not telling. It may be a cliche to say, but "be the change you want to see in the world" is as true a maxim as any when it comes to leadership thinking. That said, it's important to understand that you need to *be* the change you want to see. You can't just perform it. People are hardwired to detect bullshit, and going through the motions without actually feeling them will come off as disingenuous and manipulative rather than inspiring.

In all my experience, the thing that has made the difference has been the leader modelling the behaviour. For example, I read about Barclays experience of implementing a flexible working policy following feedback from employees. A few months in the senior team couldn't understand why no-one was taking up the opportunity to work flexibly. Well, none of them were working flexibly. It was then mandated they had to work at least one day from home and suddenly, others followed suit. There are similar stories from Netflix too. And many other organisations I've worked in. It's very hard to believe it's OK or possible, if we don't see it role modelled.

Never lose sight of the fact that all reactions, responses and behaviours mpact the whole team as well as its tone. Welcome this as a never-ending opportunity to demonstrate effective behaviors. Lead by example. Lead with intent to build relationships, credibility and trust - HOWEVER - ensure FIRST - that you are genuinely credible and trustworthy. This must be authentic to be potent.

Los líderes sirven como modelos a seguir. Vivir los valores y la visión en sus acciones cotidianas refuerza la importancia de estos principios. La coherencia entre lo que se dice y lo que se hace establece un estándar para el equipo y refuerza la alineación cultural.

When team members do not receive clear communication, they sometimes create their own stories about what's happening. Being transparent and sharing what information you can, helps remedy this unhealthy storytelling. As many of you do, I meet with my direct reports regularly. I also meet with their direct reports, individually, at least once per year to gather their feedback, (which requires a great deal of trust if you are to get honest feedback). I also ask (among other questions) if there are things in which you are interested that you have not had the opportunity to work on/learn and for their ideas of how we carry out our mission. This has certainly helped with transparency, access, and limited the stories.

In my experience when communicating with my teams, I validate understanding through strategic questions. I ask the team to explain what was communicated to validate alignment

Tell them what you goals are and lead by example. Not all suggestions are great or doable, but many are. Also, be a good listener.

Engage the team in a facilitated workshop to define vision, tasks, roles and responsibilities, etc. That sets a tone and example that you value them and engage them in everything. It also solves communication - they're involved.

Instead of communicating to the team, engage them in a facilitated workshop to set the tone. You engage them, communication is solved, they take ownership and make commitments - win-win.

When you ask for input and ideas from your team, it's important to follow through on giving them opportunities to work on projects they are excited about. It may be safe to say that each of us have parts of our jobs that we would happily give up if we had the option (maybe this is not the case for you). Of course, we should not necessarily delegate the tasks/projects we don't enjoy. An exercise one of my teams is doing at an upcoming retreat is generating a number of project ideas, whether they will carry out the idea or not. Then, we are giving everyone a chance to put their initials by the projects in which they are interested, even if it crosses out of their functional area. This will help keep team members engaged.

While this can be important, it does depend on the maturity of your team to some extent. Good coaches and leaders know that in some instances giving clear instructions/directives may be needed for some, while greater autonomy needed for others. Key though is the central idea from the book 'Multipliers' that genius exists in others, and that intelligence can grow and that people can be fully utilized if we give them that opportunity. How you go about empowering people may look very different however and may be at varying levels.

I believe that effective communication empowers teams/employees to proactively manage their roles. If, for any reason, you are unavailable to schedule regular meetings, invite them to 'manage upwards' and schedule a time with you. In cases of unclear expectations, encourage individuals to arrange discussions to address queries and seek guidance on their job scope, optimal approaches, and the key factors aligned with your vision for their position. This fosters an environment where they can excel in their work, contributing to the team's success.

Set the example. Engage and empower them by including them in a facilitated workshop to define tasks along with roles and responsibilities. They then take ownership and commitment.

Remain mindful and invite staff to identify oppotunities to strut their stuff - test their skills and enrich their teams. Things as simple as outlining a peer to peer coaching program for example: new hires to be supported and coached by senior staffers - so as to grow a sense of trust, a sense of teamwork and collaborative engery WHILE new hires learn and have approachable resources - and senior staffers can demonstrate their leadership and coaching abilities. Win win opportunites abound. You must be passionate enough to know when you see them - or invent them when you can

I have experienced that recognizing and celebrating diversity begins with fostering an inclusive environment where everyone's unique perspectives and backgrounds are acknowledged and respected. This might involve initiatives like hosting cultural festivals that showcase different cuisines, dances, and traditions, as well as organizing educational workshops to raise awareness about various customs and practices. Additionally, implementing policies that encourage diversity in the workplace, such as mentorship programs or affinity groups, creates an environment where individuals from different backgrounds feel valued and included.

Ideally, our sameness will come in the form of core values and shared goals. If we are wise, we will recognize that our biggest successes and satisfaction will come from identifyng and capitalizing on individual strengths and differences. take the opporutnities to benefit from each others differences and the perspectives that come with them. Celebrate and leverage each others individuals strengths to a success beyond what could come from confusing equality with “sameness”

In order to do this, relationships are key. Taking time to find out about your team members as individuals is critical to allow you to 'flex' your leadership style, and engage with them in the best possible way.

All of us have a default leadership style, driven by our personality and past experiences. And, just like in your personal life, your default style may not mesh with all of the individuals on your team or specific circumstances. The best leaders are the ones that are able to give their team members the greatest opportunity at growth and success - and sometimes that means adjusting your style to something that will resonate better with the needs of your team members. Take, for example, a leader that is very laissez-fare. This is great for the development of “self starters” or individuals who are very strong performers looking to stretch. However, not so great for individuals struggling with confidence or that need extra direction.

Too often we relate to others in a way that works for US. And then we don’t understand why the impact is limited. This is one of the primary reasons I work with the Enneagram. We learn: 1) to understand & adjust our own style in a way that optimises interactions, and 2) to understand other styles and what THEY need in order to improve connection, collaboration, influencing, and ultimately, output.

I believe that self & relational awareness is THE foundation of good leadership. By increasing insight into: 1) our own style, we can take responsibility for how we come across and how we impact others, changing our behaviour as necessary 2) others' style, we can understand what motivates and drives them, what activates or triggers them, and how to improve relational dynamics. As humans, we tend to assume other are like us. Seems obvious, but it takes quite a lot of intentional effort to see these differences, and then to make adjustments for them.

I have seen that Leaders at times have propensity to miss on framing thenquestions right. This may set an incorrect tone. They should consider asking questions starting with WHAT, HOW, WHO and very rarely WHY. When a question starts why then is past related. Like WHY have you missed to do it. When we put what then it sets a positive tone and makes it future oriented. Like WHAT will help you to execute this. Another example. WHY exactly are you doing it. It's consuming. WHO do you want to be after you complete this, as this is consuming. In my book, I have fictionally created a NO WHY Day, a day people have frame questions right, to set a forthcoming tone and motivation. Best.