How Leaders Can Improve Their Work Environment

 When we think of projects, most of us young folks think of group assignments in school. What pushes us to get the work done are the deadlines that threaten our grades. They are often from the classes we care the least about, but sometimes they allow for more creative freedom. I often found myself leading teams but I wouldn’t get the results I wanted. My passion for the projects didn’t match my teammates’ and I practically had to beg for some of them to collaborate. I was able to learn more effective leadership methods from the book, Leadership is Language, written by L. David Marquet. 

Creating a Safe Atmosphere

This was something I tried by giving compliments and showing concern during their emergencies, but I found that there’s more involved in that. Our use of language is important in how followers feel about their roles. 

• If they express concerns and we reply with invulnerable comments like “we’re going to be fine”, it gives them the impression that they shouldn’t question our decisions because they are set in stone.

• When we ask leading questions during a dilemma, we are giving false comfort that only tells them to keep conforming to their roles. 

Making Their Voices Heard

When we think of work, we associate it with the act of doing something. We often forget how much of a role thinking plays in both innovation and employee satisfaction.

• Asking open ended questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no encourages employees to explore a problem from different angles. 

• For meetings, it is better to get everyone’s opinions before discussing them so people aren’t swayed towards a popular idea.

• There is a balance in how much doing and thinking needs to be done though. Too much doing and employees will become too stressed to think; too much thinking and there will be too much time wasted with no work being done. 

In my experiences working in Game Design, I had a mindset of getting other people to DO work for me to bring my vision to life. In moments where they wanted to give input or express concern, I would dismiss a lot of it which would kill their motivation. What they wanted was to create something they could be proud of. Instead of threats like a poor grade or firing them as a motivator, I should’ve created opportunities for them to explore new possibilities. Marquet’s book gave me pointers that I plan to use with all future projects I lead. It taught me how the leader creates the environment for their followers to thrive in.

Struggling to Lead Others? Try this out!

 As we grow up hearing about the success stories of leaders on TV and social media, it gives us the impression that leadership is all about having Control. We see charismatic personalities that have amassed billions with their contributions to their industries. That is what gives us the idea that those who lead are aggressive and intelligent go-getters that can come up with the best ideas. However, I learned that this wasn’t the case in the book, Emotional Intelligence for the Modern Leader written by Christopher D. Connors. The book has an emphasis on the followers that make up the leader’s team. A term that really stood out to me in its first 2 chapters was called Servant Leadership. 

It is a concept where the leader focuses on the growth of their followers and meeting their basic needs within their organization. It requires an unconditional desire for them to be successful. To be a servant leader, one must have Empathy. The book defines that as “the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing” as if you’re in their position. It helps you build relationships and understand the concerns that your followers may have. Showing them that you care is what will make you a successful leader. 

From my own experiences, I used to be a ‘my way or the highway’ type of leader. I liked to create ideas for projects, yet I knew I could not fully realize them on my own. I needed help from others. When I would have a team, I would run into the same problem with every team. I would have team members procrastinate on work and it felt like I was the only one passionate about the project. This was because I never checked in with how they were feeling and what ideas they had. As much as I hate to admit it, but in my head they were just extra pairs of hands for building my project. I never thought of them as brilliant minds waiting for an opportunity to shine. If I did not put my idea first, I could have had more passion from my teammates. 

If you find yourself leading in college or in the workforce, make sure you are thinking about how they are perceiving their work. If you take just a little time to check in on them, it can go a long way in motivating them for the long-term.