How to Be a Leader People Want to Work With (Not Just Work For)
“Leadership is not a license to do less. Leadership is a responsibility to do more.” - Simon Sinek
It’s easy to think leadership is about strategy, productivity hacks, or being known as “the boss”. But the truth is really simple: the leaders people choose to follow aren’t the ones with the fullest calendars — they’re the ones who make their teams feel valued, supported, and trusted.
Here’s how to shift from “just a boss” to the kind of leader people brag about working with.
Recognition Over Rewards
A paycheck is expected. A pizza party is cute. But real recognition? That’s what sticks.
A quick “I saw how much effort you put into that project”
A Slack message calling out someone’s creativity
A handwritten note after a long week
Simple, genuine acknowledgment goes further than free snacks ever will.
Let me be clear: no compliment will replace the affirmation that comes with appropriate pay. Your staff can’t pay their car payment with warm and fuzzies. But never forget that it costs you nothing to acknowledge hard work. Acknowledge it to them as individuals, and to your team at large, so others can celebrate the wins too!
Clarity Creates Calm
Chaos - especially the kind grown out of poor systems - is the fastest way to burn out a good team. When expectations are unclear, resentment brews. (I will always refer to Brene Brown’s “Clear is Kind” for this!)
Great leaders cut through that fog by:
Setting crystal-clear goals
Defining what “done” looks like
Establishing boundaries around time and workload
Providing clear feedback to grow from
Clarity doesn’t make things rigid — it makes people feel safe. If you can’t explain to your team what outcomes you expect, how can you expect them to succeed?
Autonomy = Trust in Action
Micromanagement screams: “I don’t trust you.” Autonomy cheers: “I believe in you!”
When you hand over ownership — whether it’s a project, a client, or a single decision — you’re not just delegating tasks. You’re signaling trust, which is guaranteed to empower your team to take on bigger challenges in the future.
Nothing motivates a team more than knowing their leader truly believes they’ve got this.
Now, autonomy isn’t handing over a project with vague instructions; remember: clarity is what creates the calm! But allow your team to come to you for guidance and clarity, and to own their wins and challenges. Encourage them to think for themselves (without neglecting them if they ask for support), and watch how they bloom under empathetic leadership that is rooted in trust and empowerment.
Emotional Intelligence >>>>>> Hustle Culture
Leadership isn’t about grinding harder. It’s about reading the room, knowing when to push, and knowing when to pause.
Emotional intelligence is the quiet superpower that outlasts hustle culture. It helps you:
Listen beyond the surface
Recognize burnout before it flares
Adapt your style to support different personalities
Because sustainable leadership isn’t built on exhaustion — it’s built on empathy. Carve out intentional time for yourself and your employees to have check-ins: not just about their to-do lists but about their outlooks and career goals. Great leaders aren’t just shaping people for today’s tasks, they’re helping their team members achieve their career goals, whether that’s within the company or otherwise.
The Bottom Line
Your staff is made up of real, living, breathing people, who will remember how you showed up for them long after they’re done working for you. And while it sounds like a cliche, people don’t quit companies, they quit managers. Be the type of leader people can’t get enough of, and you’ll have a team that hypes you up in rooms you aren’t in.
Want to work together on your leadership skills? Reach out here and let’s build a consulting plan that works best for you and your team.
