#420: The 9 Easiest Ways to Add Real Value to Your Team

Simple daily actions that build trust, connection, and lasting influence on your team

One of the key laws of leadership is to add value to your team. When I coach this with new leaders, they automatically jump to the conclusion that the value they add will be new skills they can teach and higher productivity tools that will increase profitability. Of course, this is true, but it’s only part of the equation.

Adding value is more than just teaching them how to use Excel. It’s the soft skills that we often overlook. And it’s easier than you may think. I put this list together to show how simple it can be!

1. Ask how they are doing. Show you care by asking with genuine curiosity. Recall the quote from Maxwell: "People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care."

2. Showing appreciation with a simple and sincere “thank you”. "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
   — William Arthur Ward

3. Offer to Help (without being asked). Step in when someone looks like they could use a hand. It shows that you observe and notice what is happening around you. Of course, do so without looking like you are micromanaging, but do so because you care about them. If you aren’t seeing them struggle, make it a habit to ask if there is anything you could help them with, or if they are looking for advice.

4. Share your experience! Teach and guide when your knowledge can help someone succeed. That doesn’t mean just your employees; it could mean someone in the community or a new business owner who could use mentoring. "Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end."
   — Napoleon Hill

5. Invite someone new into the group. In any social or business situation, we all fall into cliques. Sales has a group, accounting has another. Cross-pollinate these teams and form cross-functional groups to get varying opinions on new projects. It brings perspective, but it also builds teamwork. And don’t just do it to do it, get them actively involved and use their input.

6. Respect the off-hours. Let people unplug and recharge without work interruptions. You may tell them not to check their email after 6 p.m., but here’s an idea—don’t send them one then. If you send emails in the middle of the evening, your team will be compelled to check and respond. Lead by example here. If you want to write them all, that’s fine; keep them in Draft form until the next morning.

7. Ask for their input. Invite ideas and feedback to show you value their perspective. Create an atmosphere where it’s okay to question and challenge a project or new design. What do you think? It should be a question that becomes a habit for you. And never share your opinion until everyone else has shared theirs. If you start with your idea, it’s natural for people to line up with you and not be as forthcoming.

8. Take a walk together. Get out of the office and invite a team member to join you for a cup of coffee. One of my best professional memories is a CEO asking me to join him as we walked around a city where we were gathered for a management meeting. It's one-on-one, casual, and removes the formality of the office. Although I don’t often find it hard to tell people what I think, I was even more unencumbered (and that’s a scary thought).

9. Cheer on their successes! Always—ALWAYS celebrate their accomplishments. Make sure they know you appreciate their wins, no matter what they are; personal or Professional!

How do you incorporate these nine steps into your daily (yes, daily) work life? This isn’t something you do once a month or quarter and check off. It needs to be your way of working! And by the way, there is a name for it! It’s called “Management by walking around.”

Your title or technical skills don’t define leadership. It’s defined by how you show up for your people—consistently, authentically, and with care.

These nine habits aren’t grand gestures, they are simple, daily practices that build trust, foster loyalty, and create a culture people want to be part of.

So here’s the challenge: Pick one and start today. Do it again tomorrow. And keep going.

What would you add to the list? Or which of these has made a difference in your leadership journey? If you know of a new leader struggling, share this list with them (It’s #3 on this list)!