Even though everyone on a team may have different personalities (see Humans and Plants: What do they have in common), they are all human, which means they all have the need to belong, be appreciated, and valued.

Here are a few questions for you to ponder on:

-Do you believe that as a manager you should keep a distance from your team?

-Do you consider yourself as being ‘superior’ and look down at your group as ‘lower level’ people?

-Are you afraid that if you get too close and friendly with your team you will lose your control over them?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, I have news for you. You can succeed as a leader only if there is cohesion between you and your team. And, if you can’t get close to your team, you will not be able to build that rapport.

So, get off your high horse, and realize that you are ‘nothing’ without your team. Yes, you heard me right ‘nothing‘.

If the team fails, so do you. If the team doesn’t perform, you look bad. If the team doesn’t trust you, then they won’t believe anything you say. If the team doesn’t respect you, nothing will move forward. You’ll be spinning your wheels on your own without getting anywhere. Your team needs to respect and trust you in order to follow you. You would not even be a leader if you had no one to lead.

So, keeping a distance between you and them, thinking of your team as lower level staff, who should be ‘told’ what to do, and not take their opinions seriously, is not the way to go.

Now, take a minute and think about the following…

–Do you keep your word and delivery what you promise?

–Does your team follow your lead and willing to go the extra mile?

–Are you able to bring the best in them and help them grow?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then congratulations! You’re on the right path. But, if your answer was “No” to any of these questions, then you’ve got some work to do.

As a leader, you have to make sure everyone is headed in the right direction, achieving the goals and vision of the company. Listen to what your team has to share. That’s the reason you have two ears and only one mouth. So, you can listen more and talk less. Ask for their opinion and respect their input. Put yourself in their shoes to understand where they are coming from. A huge mistake leaders make is when they ask for input but never consider what is being said. They just do whatever they want to do anyway, regardless of how their actions affect the team. You are better off not asking for input if you’re not prepared to make some changes to meet  your team’s needs.

The bottom line is, the stronger the bond between your team and you, the better chances you have as a leader to succeed and help your team shine.  After all, you are only as good as your people.