From Client-First to Team-First | A Winning Leadership Strategy

By 2025, 75% of the workforce will be millennials.

Millennials are differently motivated than previous generations – driven by a need for self-actualization, purpose, and an alignment between their personal values and the values of their organization.

The traditional model of leadership tends to focus on client-first and bottom-line thinking – but what has worked in the past just isn’t working anymore – especially for this new generation of workers.

It really begs the question: how have we ever expected our teams to create a great client experience when they’re not receiving a great leadership experience?

As a woman in leadership headed towards the peak of your career, you have the opportunity to shift your focus from the traditional model of leadership into the world of relationship-oriented leadership. When you choose a relationship-oriented leadership style, you’re the driving force behind a positive change within your organization and a refreshing sense of purpose for your team (and that’s what they really want, according to the research!)

This is how you get a seat at the table – by affecting real change that can be seen, recognized, and admired by all.

Today’s session is all about how to foster great relationships with your team. Not in a “people-pleaser”, patronizing way, but in a courageous, transparent, respectable way that women naturally exceed at.

I’ll be borrowing the ideas represented in the traditional “client-first” model of leadership (both beliefs and actions), but changing them instead to “team-first” beliefs and actions. I’ll also be sharing some practical ways you can make this shift in your daily practice as a leader.

Belief & Action #1: The team comes first / Every action with the team in mind

When you believe that your team comes first, you act like it.

From delegating tasks to talking points during meetings, you show your team that they are your highest priority.

As a result, your team shows up for you and does their best, because they feel that you prioritize their needs.

Practical ways to do this:

• When delegating tasks, do it thoughtfully and logically. Choose tasks for team members that align with their skills and strengths, and, if you’re aware of them, team members’ career goals.
• When creating talking points for meetings, ensure that you know what each team member’s highest priority is, and be sure to highlight the corresponding team member when you bring up these points. This will make team members feel valued, important, and aligned with your mission.

Belief & Action #2: No cutting corners for the team experience / Provide constant value for your team

Your organization doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the client experience.

Don’t do it with your team, either. Think of yourself as the ‘infuser of energy’ into your team dynamics, and always aim to bring your A-game to your interactions with your team.

Your wealth of experience and leadership skills are both highly valuable to your team at all stages, from one-on-one consults to team meetings and project development.

It’s your responsibility to provide support, encouragement, and strength to your team members. Seek ways to do it better every chance you can!

Practical ways to do this:

• Spend at least 30 a day reviewing issues raised by team members, and approach each member individually to workshop solutions together. Spend less time talking and diagnosing, and more time listening and seeking to understand the problem from the team member’s perspective
• Seek to understand the internal experience of your team members in their daily work lives. What kind of roadblocks do they continually hit? What makes them tick? Once you have a better understanding, brainstorm some ways you can enrich each team member’s daily work experience. Remember: you’re not putting out fires for them, you’re working hard to make their job experience more meaningful. What are some ways you can do that?

Belief & Action #3: The team will teach you how to improve your service / Never stop listening to improve your team experience

Every company that’s successful puts a ton of energy and resources into understanding the client experience in order to improve it.

You need to do the same with your team members.

Having a guiding process for your leadership is invaluable and important, but like any process, you need to check in frequently to ensure that it’s working like intended. In the case of your team members, you need to make sure that your leadership process is making them feel valued, respected, honored, and understood.

So, how do you make sure that your leadership process is working well for your team?

You ask them, of course!

Check-in at least twice a quarter with team members to see how they’re feeling about their workplace culture, leadership, and work-life balance. Things can change quickly if a toxic element is introduced (a bitter employee, a bottleneck in a department, a change in scheduling), so make sure to stay on top of it for the sake of a great team experience.

Practical ways to do this:

• To go beyond standard employee satisfaction surveys, check-in casually with team members in a non-official capacity when the pressure to perform is off. Send an email or text to team members individually to see how they feel about the progression of their goals, work-life balance, recognition, etc. Be sure that team members understand that their answers are “off the record” and only so that you can improve as a leader.
• Organize a giveaway with HR to reward employees for recommendations to improve workplace culture, leadership strategy, and work-life balance. If it’s in the budget, reward all employees for their feedback.

The most impactful thing you can do as a leader is to show your team members that you care about their workplace experience and their career trajectory. Team members who feel like they belong stick around, perform better and positively affect the bottom line of your organization.

Relationship-oriented leadership begins with a leader who has done the valuable inner work to understand herself.

You want to be a leader that changes things from the inside out. Sign up for my newsletter to receive the latest thought leadership on today’s ever-shifting workplace, and instructions on how to develop a bulletproof leadership process that will serve you throughout your entire career trajectory.

– Belinda Egan