The most important thing is psychological safety. If people can freely share ideas and criticize each other without taking it personally, the team will thrive.
Demonstrate vulnerability. If you admit mistakes, your team will too.
Any decision that involves someone’s career should be double checked for errors and miscommunications.
When you deliver a performance review rating, read it from notes. It could be disastrous to tell someone the wrong rating.
When you see signs of a performance issue, intervene early and often. It won’t fix itself.
If there are things you’re strict about, tell all new reports immediately. Most will respect it, and those who don’t can’t say they weren’t warned.
Your team wants both structure and autonomy. The balance depends on seniority. If in doubt, err on the side of autonomy – it’s easier for them to ask you for direction than tell you to stop micromanaging.
Diversify your team in all ways possible. It cuts through groupthink and generates new and innovative ideas.
Never make a “good enough” hire. The wait for the right person will be worth it, as long as your expectations are aligned with the attractiveness of your job and pay.