Dedication, a Key Ingredient For Leading Successful Teams
It takes dedication to lead a team to success.
What do you see in this photo? Observe and study the people. What do you notice about the helpers at the bottom?
Now, reflect on these questions: Why would the helpers need to support? How long might they have been helping, and how might they have felt about that? Perhaps they thought, “I really don’t have time for this!” or maybe “My arms are tired; I’m taking a break!” But it could also be, “I’m tired but they need me; I’m not going to give up until they succeed!” or perhaps, “I’m right here with you. You can do it! Keep going!” I imagine the people below as the leaders supporting the climber.
We have likely each had those negative thoughts at one point or another. And maybe we had the positive ones too! One thing is for sure — it takes dedication to lead a team to success! 🚀
What Is Dedication?
Dedication is setting apart time and effort to work on a task, and then seeing it through to completion. It is closely related to grit — not giving up on a task regardless of how difficult or easy that task becomes.
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. — Thomas A. Edison
Any project will face challenges and one of the leader’s responsibilities is to be dedicated to helping the team overcome those challenges while remaining focused on a successful outcome for the customer. This can become emotionally taxing for a leader as they juggle many responsibilities, but a good leader will remain focused on the goal and will help the team remain focused as well. The leader will remove unnecessary tasks from their schedule to dedicate appropriate time to the team. It is important, however, to not burn out.
Grit and Balance
Dedication takes mental toughness, also known as grit, to remain focused on the task while balancing other responsibilities. It is often through our greatest challenges that we learn and grow the most. However, remaining focused and pushing through challenges should not come at the cost of the leader’s wellbeing. Recognizing our own signs of burnout is vital and leaders should take breaks when necessary. These breaks are key to remaining healthy; after all, how can a leader help their team if they are unavailable due to burnout-related illness? A trusted friend once asked me a very insightful question, one that caused me deep reflection:
You’ve accomplished a lot but at what cost? Your family? Your health? Is it worth it?
I ask you the same question — Is it worth it?
Teammates can also suffer from burnout. As such, leaders should pay attention to their team’s emotional state. This can be done with one-on-one check-in meetings, or a simple written message like “Hey, how are you doing?” Leaders should create a safe space for team members to share openly without fear of being scolded or frowned upon. Use the communication that works best for your team, and each team member. Some team members prefer face-to-face meetings, others prefer text or instant messaging. The means of communication is not as important as that you do communicate. So, does taking breaks mean we don’t work hard?
Taking breaks does not minimize the importance of hard work and sacrifice. On the contrary, success depends on those two pillars. Everyone has different capabilities, stamina, and health conditions so know yourself and when you need a break. For some, this could mean working 12-hour days for a short-term project then taking some time off. For others, it may mean declining other opportunities during regular work hours to dedicate appropriate time and effort to the task at hand. Leaders should find their own balance to achieve successful outcomes not only for the customer but also for the team.
Rewards
One of the sweetest and most rewarding joys of leadership is seeing your team happy at the successful completion of a difficult task. Leaders should dedicate time to celebrate the team’s accomplishments. This not only helps team members unwind mentally, emotionally and physically, but it also provides breathing room before starting their next project or task. Some ideas include:
- Host a party to reflect on what was accomplished. This can be done even on a small budget. Give out prizes with small mementos like project pens, custom T-shirts, or other creative ideas.
- Review key metrics. Examples include adoption — how many people are using the solution and the positive impact it has on their lives, time savings — average customer time saved using the solution, financial — cost savings, or increased revenue from the solution, risk reduction — what percent of risk is reduced using the solution, and other key metrics.
- Project trivia. Pose fun questions to the team like, who you learned the most about, funniest project moment, best experience, best food/snack, great memories with teammates, anything else the team would like to share.
Summary
As leaders, we succeed when we help our team succeed. We do this by dedicating time and effort to our teams, keeping them focused on a successful outcome for the customer and the team. Leaders should take breaks as necessary to avoid burnout and they also encourage teammates to do the same.
May we each have the dedication needed to help our teams continue to be successful!
Happy, dedicated leading!
