The best leaders use their managerial skills to inspire their teams to work more efficiently and creatively. Yet, many leaders aren’t quite sure how to begin, especially if they’re new to the management team. While the direct approach is sometimes best, more subtle strategies can produce long-lasting results.

Avoid the Temptation to Micromanage
As the leader, you’re expected to outline what you want done. Your team may even look to you for a suggested strategy for accomplishing those tasks, but, once you’ve set your team to work, it’s best to take a step back. Letting them work with a freer hand will boost morale and can improve productivity.

Encourage Your Team’s Contributions
This can be another benefit to giving up the micromanagement approach. In addition to stepping back, encourage your team members to voice new ideas. If you give them the autonomy they need to try new concepts, your employees may help you improve the efficiency of your operation, or improve upon a product.

Stay Involved and Interested
Taking a step back doesn’t mean giving up all interest in what your employees are doing. You should be available, visibly and in a more figurative sense, so your employees will feel that they can approach you with their problems. From personal issues to work performance concerns, being receptive to your team’s issues can help you keep your team functioning efficiently.

Encourage Team Participation
Whenever possible, try to go to your team with issues facing the company and ask for their insights. This may produce ideas and strategies you may not have considered in addressing those challenges. In addition, your team members will feel like valued members of the team, which will boost morale. They will take more interest in their roles within the company, which will help your team strive to meet greater challenges.

Reward Exceptional Achievements
By offering incentives, you’ll be encouraging your employees to continuously improve upon themselves. This will benefit your company in return by helping your business stay competitive. Offer rewards for getting the most sales in a quarter or for completing a new certification course. Multiple incentives will instill healthy competition among your employees, resulting in growing productivity across the board.

Building a team requires allowing each member of that team to exercise some freedom, while ensuring they feel supported by their leader. As a leader, this can be a difficult balancing act, but even the attempt will produce positive results. When you can lead your team through inspiration, your employees will be happier and more productive.