We are excited to welcome leadership coach, Kathy Archer, to the Volunteer Alberta blog! This is the third of a three-part series on leadership in the nonprofit sector. Read Confident Leaders Stand Out. Do You? and Train Yourself to be a Confident Leader.
There is a connection between the level of confidence in your employees and your level of satisfaction in your leadership role. As a leader, when your employees are sure of themselves, certain, and poised, you may find yourself more satisfied.
The difference between managing a confident team and an uncertain team can look like this:
- leading employees that can come to conclusions decisively, who take charge, and are willing to admit their mistakes
- supervising a group of unsure, hesitant, and doubtful staff that can’t make an independent decision to save their souls
Teams that lack confidence can be a breeding ground for management burnout. If you are craving more confident employees, here are four ways you can grow confidence in your team members.
4 ways to grow confidence in your team members
1. Give opportunities for growth
Confidence is grown when individuals step outside of their comfort zone. That means you need to create openings that will push the envelope of your employees expectations of themselves, which may be potentially uncomfortable for your staff.
Look for opportunities that are new, strange, and maybe even awkward. Consider situations that your employees can be successful in but that will challenge them. Guide and support your team members, but push their limits as well.
2. Focus on future roles
Consider what role or new skills your employee may have in a year or two. Share your enthusiasm with them about their development. Provide the training and support they need to grow.
Confidence grows because your staff know you believe that they have the capability of learning and growing. Your faith in them brightens employees and motivates them. Remember, what you expect, you get. Expect progress.
3. Delegate
Micromanaging sends a clear message that you don’t have confidence in your team. If you don’t have confidence in them, they certainly won’t in themselves either. Share the responsibility of the workloads.
Ask for help. In fact, expect it. Talk openly about what needs to be completed. Inquire who has the skills or desire to take on jobs. Then delegate. Don’t check over their shoulder constantly. Give them space. It is through the challenge of figuring it out on their own that employees will grow.
4. Re-evaluate being “on-call”
Too many times we take unlimited evening calls and emails. It is your responsibility only to take after hour calls or emails when they are necessary, not convenient for staff.
Get clear and communicate what you will respond to. Pushing staff to tackle challenges on their own will develop their skills, help them listen to their intuition, and become better problem solvers. When they put all of that to work, their confidence will sky rocket.
Increase staff confidence levels: For staff growth and your sanity
Increasing individual team members’ confidence does take effort on your part. Be mindful of stretching and growing them. Look for opportunities when you can push tasks and responsibilities back to them. In doing so, your staff will mature, your team will grow, and you regain some sanity.
Kathy is a leadership coach for women who want to strengthen their leadership and find balance in life. She mentors women as they rediscover their purpose, passion, and persistence for life while dealing with office politics, jerk bosses, and the challenges of family life. In her signature program Women with Grit: Leading with Courage & Confidence, Kathy gives her ladies the hope and inspiration they need along with a kick in the pants to make positive change in their lives.