How To Lead

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Much of it concerns how not to get stuck spinning your wheels with skills that may have been useful in the past but are no longer relevant to your life or leadership. Part of that adaptation is learning to lead great teams.

Here are 20 of the most powerful habits you can use to steer your team to greatness.

1. Give them the freedom to use their talents. The best leaders step aside and allow those on their team to do what they do best. Control leads to compliance, but autonomy leads to engagement--and, in return, unleashing greatness.

2. Give them permission to make mistakes. Make sure your people know it's better to fail than to be timid. If you are going to create great teams, coach those you lead that mistakes are part of the process--and they have the power to turn you into something better than you were before.

3. Guide them to work together toward a compelling vision. Working toward a common vision is the beginning of progress for any team, and a sure sign that they're on the road to success. When your team learns to work together and not as a group of individuals pulling in different directions, things start to find meaning. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you work together toward a shared compelling vision.

4. Show up as the leader and develop leaders within. As the leader, you'll find that your own habits ripple out to your team--so show up as a leader and lead by example. Make sure that what you say is congruent with what you do. Then take the next step by encouraging your team to step into their own leadership. Give every team member the ability to move into a suitable leadership role by empowering and encouraging them.

5. Give them what they need to be successful. There's a simple way to find out what your team needs: ask them. You may not always be able to give them everything they want, but you can always work hard to make sure they have everything they need.

6. Create an environment of fun and enjoyment. Everyone performs better when they are able to relax and are having a good time. Fun is the element that allows people to make it through the difficult tasks and overwhelming deadlines, and the best leaders know how to make it work without compromising the team's work ethic or commitment to excellence.

7. Model accountability and teach responsibility. Be the kind of leader people can trust to follow through on everything you say. Great leaders know they need to develop a reputation of being true to their word. It tells others they can count on you and shows the kind of behavior you expect.

8. Be decisive and purposeful. Decisions need to be made on a constant basis--and thriving teams with great leaders know how to act decisively and with purpose. Growth and success are contingent on determined action; procrastination and perfectionism will consistently slow everything down. The best leaders have the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.

9. Don't underestimate the power of EQ. It can be hard to understand, but EQ is just as important as IQ. If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you're not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships--then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far with your team or leadership.