Leave everything a little better than how you found it

As a leader you are in a position of influence. Even if you are in a group for a short period of time you have the ability to have a lasting impact on the team and the people individually. Use the opportunity to help people to improve or add skills. A lot of times people are capable but afraid and just need encouragement. Believe in people so they can learn to believe in themselves and their abilities. Encourage people to invest in themselves with classes, reading, and getting degrees. I can remember a young IT team member that I encouraged to go to school to get the college degree he was missing. Years later I heard through another person that he was really appreciative of my encouragement in going after that degree and getting it made a huge impact on his career. He only worked on my team for a short while, but I was able to make a difference in his career and the contribution he makes to the organization.

Another way to leave things a little better is to set up systems and procedures. Give people the tools to do a better job. Create structure and methods so that the process is repeatable. Never let all the knowledge of how to get things done reside only in your head. When you leave, so will the advances that were made in getting things done unless the systems are in place.

While leading you also have the ability to help others raise the level of their thinking. Help grow understanding so that team members can take ownership in what they do. Too many leaders just focus on people doing tasks and don’t share the vision or reasoning so that the team members know why they are doing what they are doing. Help people know how and why things work so that they can apply their knowledge to make their job better. Understanding helps people take ownership allows teams to rise to the next level.

You can move on knowing that you are leaving things a little better than how you found them.