Have Your Team’s Back

Throughout my career, I have had many different types of managers. Some have been good leaders, and I have really looked up to them. However, some did not leave the best impression, and I was happy to get away from them. What kind of leader do you think you are? Are you a leader that you would look up to?  

There are many things that contribute to being a “good leader,” but there is one leader that stands out to me because of the one thing he did that made all the difference in the world. In addition to being a leader our team looked up to, and a leader our team trusted, he had our back!

No matter what the issue was, I could go to him. He always made time to listen and not respond with a knee jerk reaction. I messed up; he didn’t lose his cool. I didn’t meet a goal; he didn’t punish me. He listened and helped me see what I could have done better without making me feel like a total failure. Because of his sincere coaching, I was better prepared if I ever faced a similar situation.

We all mess up, but how do you make your team feel when they drop the ball? Do you help them see where they could have done better and have a different approach if that situation occurs again?

Let’s say someone in the workplace sends your team member an unprofessional email regarding their expectations or asking them to do something that isn’t within their normal duties. How would you handle that situation? Do you try and save face and just give that person what they are asking for, setting a precedent for future expectations? Or do you support your team member and let them know not to worry, you’ll handle it? I can tell you from my experience, the leader that stepped in when someone was trying to take advantage of me or was telling me how to do my job, really built my trust and confidence. I knew I could take anything to this leader, and they would give me correct guidance. My confidence was boosted because of the trust that was built. Would it have been easier to say, “Just go ahead and do what they are asking, it’s not that big of a deal?” Of course, that would’ve been easier, but that leader had my back and didn’t let me get pushed around by others. 

I could go on and on with examples of how this leader supported me, helped me grow, taught me to believe in myself, and enabled me to be successful. Just remember how you would want your leader to respond to you if the tables were switched. Learn to have empathy, listen, don’t overreact, and gather the whole story before taking action. Build your team’s trust by being there for them. If you do these things, then you will watch your team grow and flourish; I have seen it with my own eyes.  

–Erica Young, member of the 2024 Emerging Leaders Cohort

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