3 things I wish I knew...when I started leading a team

1. Your vision better be clear.  If you haven't done the hard work of focusing, refining your messaging, and painting a picture of your company's future you're going to have a hard time getting people to buy-in and stay inspired when the road gets tough.
2.  Define roles and responsibilities with your new team member AND the rest of the team.  I've made the mistake of devoting all of my time to onboarding a new team member and neglecting to onboard the rest of the team to new workflows or responsibilities as a result of the growing team.        
3.  Communication goes both ways!  Weekly check-ins allow me to give guidance and feedback to members of my team.   I wish earlier on I'd realized what a valuable opportunity those meetings can be to get feedback on my own leadership style as well.

Leading a team isn't always easy, but there are lessons to be learned through all of it.

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