'little things' that contribute to building winning teams

Some 10 years ago, I read: “The bigger your dream = the more important your team.”

Back then, I was leading a team of 4. And I had that quote sitting in an old word doc together with some bullet points on my old HP pro. I remember printing that 1-pager and sticking to a wall. It was a useful reminder.

A few months ago, I did it again.

Now more than ever, it is useful to remind yourself that you work with people. I believe that these 5 bullet points will help you to be more effective as a leader:

#1 Appreciate – Say please and thank you. Reward the hero of the week. Don’t be too busy to do that.

#2 Create a sense of belonging – Where teammates can live by the culture of values and make connections.

#3 Help them grow – Your job is to challenge and develop your people. Give honest feedback. Brave but considerate. Organize 360 feedback—and regular 1:1 coaching sessions.

#4 Celebrate – The team that celebrates together is the team that stays together. Don’t wait for the end of the Q or year to celebrate. Have mini-celebrations.

#5 Purpose – The secret of passion is the purpose. Have a team purpose. Give, share, communicate that higher purpose – always.