Team leaders need to be aware of their own performance too.

These competing factors sometimes lead to unhelpful behaviours that put the dynamic of the entire workplace in jeopardy.

With these competing stressors dragging, it’s not unthinkable for lapses in judgement to occur. Sometimes team leaders are guilty of prioritising results over all else.

This is just one of many common yet unhelpful behaviours team leaders exhibit when the pressure is on. After a business has spent the time to find the right employees the last thing you want to do is give them reason to leave.

In this piece, we’ve compiled a list of behaviours competent team leaders should do their utmost to avoid.

Advocate for your employees and share the credit

A fear that all workers have is someone else taking credit for their hard work and hours of effort. Managerial roles are especially at risk.

When you have a team of people beneath you all working together to accomplish an objective of their company – and you have a manager who misrepresents the contributions of everyone in their team to their own personal advantage – that can be devastating.

Emphasising the importance of the collective effort of your staff will go a long way to building trust in this regard.

By consistently communicating with your team – and the higher ups - you’ll be able to assuage any fears of this happening and successfully maintain their wellbeing.

Transparency over promotions

Ensuring that there is a pathway for employees to follow to a position of seniority can be a powerful motivator for team members.

Having something to aspire towards is essential for catalysing productivity and rewarding the performance of your most deserving employees.

One niggling concern employees always have is an anxiety that jobs and promotions are only ever awarded to those with a personal connection to the higher ups. If your boss seems to be on good terms with the new hire, is there a suspicion of nepotism?

By clarifying the reasoning behind any promotion or new hire, you give applicants a unique and much needed insight into the inner workings of the recruitment process. That then gives each applicant peace of mind and perhaps alleviates any concerns they might have about it.

Don’t overwork your staff

When you have stakeholders – and the future of the company is at stake – you can end up indulging some of your worst impulses.

By making your employees work long hours with little regard for their physical and mental health – and exercising your considerable powers as a team leader to exert unyielding levels of pressure – you are neglecting the long-term outlook for instant results.

If you want to get the most out of your staff, you have to be aware that your relationship with them is reciprocal. When you show a measure of understanding with your team – acknowledging when they’ve done something well, giving them time off when they have personal issues and engaging them in conversation in matters unrelated to work – you are demonstrating concern for their wellbeing.

When you have a team leader who genuinely looks out for you, understands your needs and takes the time to know you as a person, you’ll want to work harder for them.

In summary

Making yourself a more well-rounded team leader should be a priority. Through consistent and transparent communication, by avoiding self-promotion, and taking the time to understand your team’s needs and requirements, you can forge an improved path forward for yourself and your business.