Giving Your Team the Support You Wish You Had
I want you to consider the most recent encounters you’ve had with your boss (or former bosses), both good and not-so-good.
How did you feel in those situations?
What were you looking to get from them?
Resources? Guidance? Reassurance?
Did you receive it?
Leadership is about needs
Many of you likely haven’t had to lead a team of people before or are starting to recruit new members because yours are graduating.
An important part of becoming a good leader is understanding the needs of your team, emotional or otherwise.
If you think work always needs to be objective, then you’re not a leader.
You’re just a manager shouting orders.
Make the effort to listen to your team carefully and uncover what they actually need.
Note, they may not always be looking for solutions.
If you’re not sure what they need, you can always ask:
“What can I do to make this conversation beneficial to you?”
This still shows you care while being honest that you don’t know what they’re asking for or have an immediate answer.
Give your team the support you needed
When your team feels safe and supported, you develop trust and a genuine connection that can reach beyond projects and degrees.
You get a team for your entire career.
If you’re looking to improve your leadership skills, I wrote an entire section about it in my guide: Save Time, Money, and Stress with These 5 Lessons from My PhD.
Click the button for your FREE copy.
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