Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and offer a solution everybody can understand. Once you find yourself in charge of other people on your team, it will be your job to lead them towards greatness. As the manager, it’s not enough to just do your work — you must inspire those around you to rise above their personal goals and take on more responsibility.

Here are four powerful ways that will lead your team to greatness.

• Engage Everyone

Make it a point to engage every member of your team. Make sure that everyone feels like they have a voice and their voice matters. At least once per week, involve each person in a decision-making process and allow them to buy in. This will allow your team members to feel empowered and valued, which will ultimately lead them on a path towards greatness. Team leaders like Nathan Garries always consider team engagement a major entity of their business world. Nathan Garries, CFP®, EPC®, CIWM®, FCSI® has spent the last two decades of his career earning the highest credentials available in his industry – to help clients prepare for the financial demands of day-to-day life and the future.

• Create Transparency

If your team has an internal project to work on, empower them by explaining why it’s important. Nothing beats a good old-fashioned pep talk. There’s nothing quite like explaining why everyone should get excited about something they’re not even sure they care about yet. Showing your team where things are headed not only gets people excited but also gives them a better understanding of what their role is in helping achieve success.

Being transparent will provide you with the valuable opportunity to personally lay out specific goals and expectations so that everyone can see how their role plays into a long-term strategy. You might find out that some things aren’t as clear as you thought they were which can help you figure out how best to change or improve them for future projects.

• Build Trust

Nothing builds trust like creating a culture of transparency. A great leader will want all his or her employees to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, and that means sharing information with them whenever possible. You don’t need to give away trade secrets or divulge things about your personal life, but you should certainly make it clear that you value each person on your team as an asset. As well, showing employees how their contributions fit into your big-picture strategy can go a long way toward fostering camaraderie and respect among your staff members.

• Have Fun

To lead your team effectively, you need to stay positive and have fun. If your team sees that you’re having a good time, they’ll want to be a part of it. Also, if your employees have fun at work, they’ll be more engaged with their jobs. To make things happen in your workplace—and achieve great things as a team—make sure everyone is having fun.

Conclusion

A great team is invaluable for a business to flourish. As leaders, we should be teaching our team members how to reach their highest potential, so that they can do their part in helping us make it to greatness. These methods have worked for some leaders. Give them a try!