When a leader practices supportive leadership, they provide their team members with the resources and tools they need to function independently. Supportive leaders try their best to make sure that every member of their team has the abilities, resources, and tools needed to finish the task at hand or succeed in a long-term project.
Frequently, the degree of assistance differs among team members based on the needs and expertise of each worker. Team members who can work independently but who also feel comfortable asking for help when they need it are the goal of supportive leadership.
How to become a supportive leader
Positive relationships between supportive leaders and their team members are common. To develop into a supportive leader, take the following actions:
Establish relationships
Building relationships is a fundamental component of helpful leadership. Building and maintaining a good rapport with your staff demonstrates your concern for them as individuals and as professionals. It will be simpler for you to give them feedback and assistance and for them to accept it if you have a relationship based on trust.
Pinpoint needs
Recognize the needs of each team member to ensure success. To learn about your team member’s strengths and areas for improvement, you should perform skill evaluations or carefully examine their earlier work.
Build a cohesive team
Encourage the development of bonds among the individuals on your team. They may have to collaborate on certain assignments or projects. In the future, having a solid foundation of trust and leadership support among team members will make it easier for them to collaborate.
Research solutions
Prepare a list of tools and resources that you can share with your team before starting a new project. Based on your understanding of each member of your team’s strengths and weaknesses, research possible supports ahead of time so that you can respond promptly in the event that assistance is required.
Check-in regularly
Make sure you have regular meetings with your staff, especially the newer members. By completing these check-ins, you may demonstrate to the staff member your concern for their well-being and your desire for them to seek your assistance when needed. Additionally, check-ins will assist you in determining the project’s progress and the degree of assistance required to guarantee its success.
Importance of supportive leadership in business
A crucial and beneficial leadership style for firms is supportive leadership. It not only helps to build good working relationships among coworkers, but it also gives team members the freedom to advance their careers and perform successfully under minimal direct supervision. The supporting leadership style places a high priority on employee training and development up front, believing that these expenditures will pay off in the form of increased output and superior performance.
What are the qualities of a supportive leader?
Although supportive leaders come in a variety of forms and employ different strategies to assist their teams, many of them have the following traits in common:
Accepting: Supportive leaders tend to be very accepting of their staff members, meeting them where they are in terms of abilities and capabilities.
Optimistic: One of the most crucial traits of a supportive leader is the ability to keep an optimistic outlook.
Considerate: Before making a choice or assigning a task, the majority of encouraging leaders take their staff members’ viewpoints and ideas into account.
Empathetic: One of the most important traits for supportive leaders is having empathy for staff members who require help and support.
Confident: The most effective supportive leaders have faith in both their own and their team members’ capacities to grow, learn, and do outstanding work.
Knowledgeable: To effectively help their team, supportive leaders should possess a solid foundation of knowledge in their sector or industry.
Tips for effective supportive leadership
Use the following advice to increase the impact of your encouraging leadership:
Develop your relationships: Building relationships with your peers who support and encourage you in your leadership development is one of the best strategies to help you become and stay a supportive leader.
Be accessible: Verify that you are available for your group. While you don’t have to be available all the time, make sure you allot enough time on a regular basis so that your staff may come to you with questions or requests for advice.
Normalize failure: It is an opportunity to grow and learn. Your team will take more chances and develop more rapidly if you normalize making mistakes, owning up to them, and using the knowledge gained to move forward.
Remain mindful of the wider picture: Make sure your team’s efforts are in line with the company’s overarching objectives and plans by checking this on a frequent basis.
For more information, visit https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/supportive-leadership
