16 Tips for Effective Leadership in the Workplace

Leading an organization to success can be a tremendous amount of pressure, but managing teams and being a positive influence on how they see the institution can be an even trickier balance to strike—whether you are new or seasoned when it comes to guiding direct reports in the workplace.

Here, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members each talk about the most important thing they have learned in their current role about how to lead others in an organization or department.

1. Establishing and Maintaining Followership

It’s important to establish and maintain followership. It sets a strong foundation for trust and integrity, which can help team members support their leader’s vision while driving collaboration. Followers who believe in their leaders and the organization’s ethics are more committed and productive. This ultimately creates an environment where leaders can provide support, constructive criticism, and new ideas. – Yusuf Qasim, Zelis

2. Putting People First

The key to leading an organization that engages passionate employees is putting people first. When people have confidence that their work is valued, they are inspired to go for it. I have learned that a key is showing up authentically myself. This means setting the example that it’s okay to be human and creating a culture where missteps are seen as opportunities rather than something to fear. – Kate Williams, 1% for the Planet

3. Creating real-world, in-person experiences

When you’re leading a department, there’s no substitute for real-world, in-person experience. It’s important to understand theoretical knowledge related to your role, but it’s even more important to put that into practice. In addition, if you’re managing a global team like I am, it helps a lot to visit your people often and make region-specific adjustments to your global plans. – Dux Raymond Sy, AvePoint

4. Presenting a clear vision and providing a safe space for all

Shared leadership creates strength. It requires everyone to have a clear understanding of the role they play, empathy for the role others on the team play, and support for one another to drive toward the best solution. Leaders who present a clear vision and enable a safe space for their people to bring their unique talents in an environment of shared leadership make faster progress with strong teams. – Holly Sydnor, AWL Strategies

5. Staying proactive about meeting customers during the ‘off-season’

Proactively meeting your customers in the “off-season” when there are no issues to solve or deals to close is essential. Just be sure not to undercut your team’s customer access through that customer engagement. This ensures you have relationships in place with customers before the difficult discussions take place and can add value when it is needed most. – John DiSilvestro, Woodward, Inc.

6. Hiring people who align with company culture, mission, vision and goals

Invest in making the right hires early on to advance your organization and create a culture of transparency around the mission, vision, and goals. Share the results quarterly and celebrate the wins together along the way. As you scale, make sure you have a way to keep this level of transparency and focus through great communication and interactions with your team as a group and as individuals. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications

To find out the other 10 tips, read the full article: Learning to lead effectively in the workplace: 16 tips to success