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These are the tenets of a strong culture, and they don’t happen by accident. They are the result of applied intentionality. And they are measurable.

As you prepare to lead your team into the next quarter, take time to define, review, and assess how you are doing in each area. As a leader, you can also apply each tenet to your own personal leadership.

Living Your Values

What are your non-negotiables?

These are those things you will not compromise, and that, if you try, you will experience stress. One way to recognize your values is to consider the things you will not change. If one of your values is quality, for example, you will not be one to cut corners to save costs. While this may seem to be counterintuitive in inflationary times, there are those who still seek quality. If that is your value, embrace it, and aim for excellence.

Write this down: Before you can live your values, as an individual and as a team, you need to clearly define them. This provides the foundation for all you do. Written values create a visible framework you can use to make decisions.

Trust and Respect

Does your team trust and respect you? And do you trust and respect them?

Trust and respect are not things you can demand, though many try. They are things you earn. And you earn them by being true to your word and true to your values. As an organization, you earn them the same way. When you do, people may not agree with you, but they will respect you and trust that you are genuine.

Write this down: What can you do to earn trust and respect? Write down 1-5 actions you can take to show that you are worthy of the trust and respect you desire.

“I am a person who ____” is a good place to start.

For example:

• “I am a person who keeps commitments.”
• “I am a person who speaks truth with candor and care.”
• “I am a person who is dependable.”
• “I am a person who does what it takes to get things done.”

Continuous Learning and Development

At what point do you know all you need to know?

Continuous learning goes well beyond advanced degrees and continuing education credits. Great leaders are continually learning across diverse sectors and from different people. They strive to learn how to become better leaders and communicators. They seek to know all there is to know about their industry and how it impacts the world.

Write it down: What do you need to learn in the next season of life and business that will make you a better and more relatable and relevant leader? This may include classes you want to take, but also books you need to read or conferences you need to attend. Is there a coach or mentor who can guide you to the next level in your life or business?

Teamwork and Collaboration

Does your team work well together? Do you work well with them?

Do you collaborate with others outside your personal strengths zone in order to grow yourself and your business? Are you regularly reaching out to others to connect and create win-win situations?

Write it down: Draw a table with four rows and two columns.

• In the first row and first column, write the letter “T”.
• In the second row and first column, write the letter “E”.
• In the third row and first column, write the letter “A”.
• And in the fourth row and first column, write the letter “M”.

Now, in the second column, write down the names that come to mind for each member of your “TEAM”.

• T – Trainers – List the names of your teachers, mentors, coaches, advisors, and resources (books, podcasts, classes)
• E – Encouragers – List the names of those on your team who celebrate with you and encourage your goals and aspirations.
• A – Allies – List those who will work with you in the trenches. These are your peers and team members who lock arms with you and support you in reaching defined objectives.
• M – Mentees – List those you seek to serve with what you have learned. This is the legacy point, and it is essential for purpose and meaning. Reaching goals and learning are great, but if you have no mentees to pass your wisdom on to, you will feel a great void.

This exercise helps you identify your TEAM, and everyone needs one. It also helps you identify gaps. Don’t overlook those. In fact, make a note regarding who you need to add to your TEAM.

Seen and Heard

Do you or your team members feel invisible?

In a world of increasing automation in a post-COVID era, it is not uncommon for people to sense a degree of “invisibility.” As a leader, you have a responsibility to make each team member feel seen and heard.

Write it down: How can you give a voice to your team members? How can you set them up for strengths-based success, so they are seen and heard as the authority in those areas? What actions can you take to recognize their efforts for jobs well done?

Effective Communication

Are you communicating to the point of connecting?

The goal of communication is to connect – you with others, people with people, or people with ideas. Communication is a learnable skill.

Write it down: How can you be a better communicator with each member of your TEAM, as identified above? How can you create new connections?

Support and Care

Do you care about your people? And, perhaps more importantly, do they know it?

It is a powerful – and true – statement: “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

This is why my mentor, John Maxwell, frequently says, “Hello, my name is John, and I am your friend.”

He is saying, “I care,” and it is no wonder he is one of the most influential leaders in the world. Simply put, he cares.

Write it down: How can you show your TEAM care and support? Those relationships thrive on mutual care and support.

Empowerment and Accountability

Are these clearly defined?

If your goal is to develop leaders, as it should be, you must empower them while also holding them accountable. This requires skill to gain a balance of delegation and oversight, without micromanagement. But when these are the goals, both you and your team members grow in your leadership capabilities.

Write it down: How can you empower each team member? And what is the accountability plan for each?

Fun and Positive Environment

Do you or your team have the “Sunday evening dreads”?

This is that point in the weekend where you – or they – realize it is almost time to go back to “the grind”. It is usually accompanied by a knot in the stomach and a sense of dread, thus the term, “Sunday evening dreads.”

Write it down: How can you create an environment that is positive and fun? How can you tailor areas that are well suited to each strengths type? How can you ensure your team members don’t have the “Sunday evening dreads”?

Celebration and Appreciation

When was the last time you celebrated a win with your team?

Teams need goals. These give everyone something to strive for together.

But where many leaders go wrong is that they become so goal-focused, they forget to stop and celebrate the team that helped them reach those goals. They go from one big goal to the next to the next, often simultaneously, without stopping to consider the team.

Write it down: What are your 1-5 goals for the next season of your life and business? And how will you celebrate reaching them with those who helped you get there?

With the actions you have written down, you have created a roadmap for a strong culture within your organization. But this strategic culture plan means nothing if you don’t apply it intentionally. Begin today to implement each action, and you will build a strong and effective team.

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!