Whether it is a recent aspirant or an inherited scrapper, it is essential for you to keep friendly relationships with everyone in your team. As it is with any affinity, keeping a level of respect whilst you remain amicable is an everlasting balancing act. Creatives are the type of people who prefer a laid back and informal approach to work, so it is important to incorporate this aspect in your leadership style. Keep it nice and friendly, but at the same time you must watch it so your teamsters don’t get too comfortable around you. Here’s how you go about it.
Respect cannot be demanded, it has to be earned. And you can only earn it by giving it.
Respect cannot be demanded, it has to be earned. And you can only earn it by giving it. The more you respect your team, the more they will respect you. Sounds very simple, but in reality can be quite tricky. The reason being that most leaders struggle to treat their employees with respect and tend to literally - boss them around. Always show gratitude. Saying thank you doesn’t cost you a dime, but it goes such a long way in making people respect you. Showing appreciation for their efforts makes them feel important and valued, which in fact everyone is. The more respect and appreciation you give, the more you will get in return.
It’s important not to confuse respect with fear. Being respected is good, whilst being feared is terrible. When people fear you, they do things out of fear and for a creative person that is not a great motivation as they need to think and act freely to bring out their best.
Have you ever had a boss who made your stomach turn as soon as you saw an email from them in your inbox? It might just have been a short FYI mail, but because you associate their name with bad news and negativity, your emotions skyrocket long before your rational mind has time to decipher the message. This is a clear sign the leader has instilled fear in you. If you can relate to this feeling, I am sure you wouldn’t want to make others feel like that.
Finally, don’t take yourself too seriously, learn to laugh and make fun of yourself. By doing this you mien as a fellow creative, and become more relatable to the players on the team.
Finally, don’t take yourself too seriously, learn to laugh and make fun of yourself. By doing this you mien as a fellow creative, and become more relatable to the players on the team. Have fun and banter with your gang, make them laugh and joke around. This immediately brings down their guard and makes them more relaxed in your presence. In their mind they’ll be thinking: He’s cool, he’s one of us. Then you can be viewed as a respected friend people can be open around and speak their mind, but respect your position and follow your direction. You have found the equilibrium of good creative leadership.
