Without fail, small teams often carry the same weight of responsibility as much larger departments, yet they bring a unique set of dynamics and challenges. That said, here are some strategies to enhance your leadership and leave a positive impact on every member of your [small] team.
1. The Foundation Is Trust
This is a non-negotiable. With fewer people, every interaction is amplified and a lack of trust can undermine morale and productivity quickly. To foster trust, you must be transparent in your communications, making sure every team member knows they can approach you with ideas or concerns without ridicule or punishment, and taking accountability for both wins and losses.
How to Implement
- Regular Check-Ins: Schedule one-on-one meetings to understand each member’s strengths, challenges, and aspirations. I recommend doing this at least 4 times per year. Overachievers should shoot for doing this monthly.
- Transparent Communication: Be open about company goals and team objectives, and regularly update the team on progress to ensure that everyone knows, sees, and feels the bigger picture.
2. Embrace Servant Leadership
In small teams, leadership isn’t about a hierarchy. Instead, it’s about empowering each person. Servant leadership can be transformative if implemented well. When team members know that their leader prioritizes their growth and success, they’re more likely to reciprocate that support to everyone within the team.
How to Implement
- Remove Obstacles: This can be tricky if you’re not vigilant. Meaning, that you “see” and/or anticipate problems in order to work to remove/decrease them before your team hits those obstacles. If you struggle to anticipate potential problems, then you must ask your team what challenges they’re facing and work to remove those roadblocks. This works better when you’ve built the trust within your team (refer to tip #1).
- Self-Sufficiency: Instead of simply giving directions and barking orders, encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, which will help your team feel more capable and empowered.
3. Keep Your Door (and Mind) Open
In a small office, being physically close to everyone (proximity) can create both comfort and tension. You, as the leader, should strive for approachability, so team members feel comfortable bringing up issues before they escalate. Balancing physical openness with emotional openness (like practicing empathy and truly listening) can create a strong sense of unity.
How to Implement
- Be Available: While the “open-door policy” phrase may sound cliché, the real key is to be genuinely present and attentive when team members need your attention.
- Active Listening: Validate your team member’s points to ensure that you understand their perspective.
4. Recognize All Contributions
Every effort counts, especially in a small team. Leaders who recognize contributions, no matter how minor, tend to work with a more motivated team. In other words, it’s the day-to-day efforts that deserve attention.
How to Implement
- Tailored Recognition: Whether it’s a public shoutout in a team meeting or a private message thanking them, find out what type of recognition each team member prefers…and then DO THAT! It’ll mean the world to that person.
- Celebrate Wins: Make time to celebrate team achievements and let them know how their work positively impacts the company. This not only boosts morale but also strengthens team unity.
5. Encourage Continuous Learning
For small teams to stay competitive and innovative, they need opportunities to grow. This should go without saying but not everyone thinks about this. So, as a leader, you should foster a culture of continuous learning, showing that you value and encourage their professional, personal, and even spiritual development.
How to Implement
- Workshops: Offer resources or recommend workshops that can benefit their roles or personal interests. This should be paid by the company.
- Cross-Training: Encourage team members to learn about each other’s roles, which can deepen collaboration and enable better coverage when needed. This can be beneficial but it can also lead to frustration by some people questioning why they have to learn things that they feel are unnecessary to their role…so be careful with this one.
6. Work-Life Balance
Small teams often shoulder intense workloads, especially when one person’s absence has a noticeable impact. To keep morale and productivity high, model a healthy work-life balance. When team members see their leader prioritizing balance, they feel more comfortable doing the same.
How to Implement
- Encourage Breaks and Time Off: Respect each team member’s personal time and encourage them to take breaks and use their PTO.
- Set Boundaries: Demonstrate that it’s okay to set boundaries, even if that means reinforcing these practices for yourself.
Leading a small team within an office setting is as much about personal influence as it is about effective business processes. When you focus on trust, empowerment, and recognition, you create a space where people feel valued and motivated.
Keep in mind that within a small team, every action is more visible, every word carries more weight, and every individual contribution has a higher impact on the collective success.
– Philip Douthett