Think about your leadership style: are you more focused on completing the task, or building relationships with those you lead? All leaders are wired to fit somewhere on the spectrum between “relationship-focused” and “results-focused.” Most of the time, the best leaders are those who do not lean majorly in one direction, but do well at balancing relationships and results. Whichever way you lean, it is vital that leaders intentionally grow in their leadership skills to balance out these styles.
After you have identified your stronger area, use these 6 practical tips to help you balancing relationships and results:
For more relationship-focused leadership:
- Show your team that they are valued. Take a few moments and affirm them. Don’t give general compliments like, “You’re doing a great job.” Be specific so that they know that you care. For example: “Katie, you did a fantastic job composing that budget report. Thank you for the time you put into it.”
- Listen to your team. This is perhaps the most important quality in building relationships with your team. Whether it is a concern or an idea, listening is a wonderful skill for a leader to learn. Your team knows if you are not listening and are simply there to tell them what to do. Take the time to stop and really listen to what they have to say.
- Be intentional about building relationships. It’s not bad to put “build relationships” on your to-do list and set a goal to do something like write note cards. As long as it is genuine, this could help you build relationships with your team.
For more results-driven leadership:
Make a to-do list, a schedule, and take notes. Try to have your to-do list completed at the end of the day. Try to stick to your schedule. Have a standard way to take notes so you will remember things like an iPhone app or a simple notebook. Whatever you do, don’t trust your memory and try to eliminate distractions.- Cut casual conversations short. It is okay to tell someone that you will have to talk about something unrelated to the task later. It does not make you rude or anti-social.
- Keep accountability. Let your team know that you are trying to focus more on results and ask for their help to keep you focused on your tasks. If they know that you are trying to spend more time focusing on results, they can help steer you in the right direction.
Those are some simple ways to help you balance out relationships and results in your leadership. What are some ways that you balance your responsibilities? Please comment below!