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Recognizing insecurity in team members and what to do about it
Both the leader and the followers need to feel secure in themselves for the team to function optimally.
Both the leader and the followers need to feel secure in themselves for the team to function optimally.
Recognizing insecurity in team members and what to do about it
Any insecurity is unnecessary negativity within a team. Both the leader and the followers need to feel secure in themselves for the team to function optimally. In this article, we discuss how to recognize insecurity in employees and what to do about it.
The 7 Signs of Insecurity
- Blaming Others
When someone consistently blames others or circumstances and refuses to accept any responsibility for mistakes or failures, insecurity is at play. Accepting that things haven’t gone according to plan is a sign of maturity.
- Taking Credit
A secure person doesn’t take credit for achievements or progress that aren’t theirs. A good leader gives credit to the team members who made things happen. This matters for the health of a team or an organization.
- Always Expecting to Be Right and to Be the Best
While striving to do your best is admirable, perfectionism is a sign of insecurity. Even so, you need to give your best effort and accept mistakes and failures with equanimity. With a growth mindset, you adopt a positive attitude toward making mistakes as part of the learning process.
- Feeling Threatened by Others
When you’re in a new environment, you shouldn’t feel threatened by others. Once you get to know them, you’ll start to appreciate them and think positively about their roles and how others can enrich your life.
- Being Unable to Feel Happy for Others’ Success
When someone can’t feel happy about your success, it’s a sign of insecurity. Ideally, when a friend succeeds, we feel happy for them, recognizing it as evidence of hard work being positively rewarded. When you feel threatened instead, it reflects insecurity about your own capacity to make a difference.
- Constantly Comparing Yourself to Others
Stop comparing yourself to others. You are enough, and you have plenty. You have everything you need in this life, so stay true to yourself. In the workplace, you may feel the urge to compare yourself with others. Resist that impulse. Let your true self shine.
- Being Extrinsically Motivated
Intrinsically motivated people believe they can do and become whatever their mind sets out to achieve. Extrinsically motivated people, however, work only to impress others—driven by vanity rather than purpose.
What to Do About It
If you’re a team leader who has identified members who are insecure about themselves, what do you do about it?
There are at least two things:
- Be Empathetic Toward Their Subjective Experience
Never judge them or think of them in negative terms. It is what it is, so be empathetic and learn to understand and see things from their perspective. They may not realize they’re insecure, and they may not have chosen to be.
- Don’t Reward Their Insecurity
A good leader rewards positive traits in team members, not negative ones. Stay open so they can share their insecurities, in a way that lets them feel secure in your compassionate gesture and in a positive work environment.
In conclusion, insecurity can happen to anyone. As a leader, recognizing insecurity in team members is crucial so you can act appropriately and prevent the team from being undermined from within.
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