7 Behavioral Expectations From A Team Leader | What Is Your Team Expecting From You?

I have been coaching leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs for a while. When I coach a leader or team, something that often comes up is the expectations the leaders have from their team members. This then branches to how the team stood up for them, how some of them did not play it out as expected, etc. Very rarely, have I heard someone say the opposite.

How many times have you asked yourself, what does my team expect from me? What Should I do to make my team comfortable? What behaviours should I work on? What will make my team members embrace me better? 

If a work relationship is a key indicator for a good leader, I guess it is time that you start to ask the above questions. 

We are not talking about the skills of an effective leader; we are talking about the subtle experiences that your team members go through when you exhibit certain behaviours.One of the key expectations of any team, from its leader, is that they be listened to. I have written an article on must-know listening types for every leader. Do check it out.

Below are the seven most unspoken behavioural expectations that a team has from it’s leader. 

Behaviour 1: Hold, do not pass

The team does not want their leaders to offload the heat they received from the superiors onto them. They want their leaders to hold it. The team is smart enough to sense what is happening with their leader, when the leader offloads the heat, the team feels that the leader is simply not owning up and standing by the team. The team starts to doubt the courage of the leader. Over a period, the leader loses respect. 

Behaviour 2: Be mindful of the signals

Sometimes when the leader is on a low, they externalize the reason for not happening, they openly express unhappiness over the management decisions, the peers that they have conflicts with, etc. The team absorbs the negative energy you display, and they try to emote them. This not only puts you down, it puts your entire team in jeopardy. The team members start to feel that they are in the wrong place.

Also read: Adaptive leadership Style and Skills for Changing Challenging Times
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Behaviour 3: Do not get too personal

It is good to know personal things about your team and enquire about them, this does feel make them feel comfortable and there is increased trust. However, be mindful of the line that you should not cross. Sometimes, unconsciously, we start commenting about things that are too personal or offer views on their personal life. Offering unsolicited advice is a big no! Yes, they do mind it!! 

Behaviour 4: Do not Sniff around

When you must ask something or know something about your team member, ask them directly. Do not speak about one member to another, be it positive or negative. The team is more intimate amongst themselves than they are with you. You not only will lose their trust; you stand to lose self-respect. 

Behaviour 5: Coach them, not tell them

Every member of the team wants to feel valued for their contributions. When you tell them, advise or mentor them, you are not empowering them. Initially, this may seem good, but over time you are losing the innate potential of the team members. Do you want to be the solution provider or the solution enabler? You will not lose your authority by coaching your team member.

Related: 5 Must-Know Listening Types, A Leader Needs To Know” 5 Must-Know Listening Types, A Leader Needs To Know Click To Tweet

Behaviour 6: Be Authentic

Authenticity is not the sign of weakness; it is a strength. You are a leader because you have all that it needs to head the position. This does not mean that you are a superhero. When you are your authentic self, your team understands that you are not making it up. They want to be with you more, help you win the situation. 

Behaviour 7: Do not make them you

Many leaders have the tendency to say, “If I were you, I would have……”. No! they are not you!! Please respect that every member has his or her own individuality, capability, and limitation. When you want them to act like you, they will feel suffocated. 

Do reflect if you are displaying any of the above behaviours. Being aware is the first step towards change. Have you experienced any other behaviours that you think should go to this list, please do comments and share !!