In the face of uncertainty, teams need good, effective leadership. Not just bold, brash, decisive leadership, but empathetic, focused, generous leadership. Is it possible to accomplish a lot of great work while simultaneously growing a great culture? Yes, but it requires that leaders routinely model for their team what a great culture looks like.

There are three words that every creative pro needs to hear from their manager: “I’m for you.” I want to see you thrive. I want to see you excel. I want to help you accomplish your goals. Here are three specific ways we can model this sentiment to our teams:

1. I believe in your abilities. I won’t try to control your work, but will instead allow you to operate within clear principles and will give you the freedom you need to bring your best thought to the work.
2. I won’t let you settle. I will hold you accountable to expectations and to a high standard of performance, not because of how it reflects on the team but because I believe you are capable of more than you think.
3. We are in this together. We will get to the other side in lock step, and I will fight to protect the resources, time, focus, and energy you need to do what I’m asking of you.

If teams begin to operate in this fashion, it unlocks trust and deep engagement. On this episode, I dive into each of these three principles and how to implement them.

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