As a leader, you set the tone for your team. It’s important that you’re clear right from the jump that you expect high performance and you won’t settle for anything less. Be as clear and direct about this as possible.

That’s exactly what Bill Walsh did when he took over the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. The franchise was floundering at the time of his arrival. He immediately came in and established what he called his Standard of Performance. Walsh demanded excellence from everybody in the organization, and that mindset helped lay the foundation for everything else. Players and coaches who didn’t want to commit to excellence were removed from the team. He wanted total and complete buy-in, and those who weren’t willing to meet those expectations were booted.

One of the keys to leading a strong team is setting crystal clear expectations about performance and establishing the overall “philosophy” of your team. You must be clear that going through the motions and poor performance will not be tolerated, then hold people accountable when they don’t meet expectations. The clearer you are about this, the easier it is to hold people accountable. As Bill Walsh writes: “Employees can thrive in an environment where they know exactly what is expected of them – even when those expectations are very high. When it comes to telling people what you expect from them, don’t be subtle, don’t be coy, don’t be vague.”

Once you’ve established the right philosophy and expectations for your team, here are a few tips for leading:

• • Get the Right People On the Bus — Your people are everything. More so than qualifications on a resume, look for the right mindset. Does the person work hard and consistently push themselves to improve and learn every day? Is the person highly disciplined? Does she seem to show accountability? Is he a good teammate? Does this person consistently go the extra mile? Is this person self-motivated, both at work and outside of work? When you find somebody who has the right personal philosophy and mental makeup, hire them on the spot and invest time into helping them reach their full potential. 

• • Encourage Collaboration — You want people to feel like they have a voice and can contribute to the team. Encourage opinions and collaboration. Be open to change. The last thing you want is a culture where people feel they don’t have a voice and that their opinions aren’t taken seriously. That said, at the end of the day you as the leader are paid to make final decisions. 

• • Set a Vision — Set a big overall goal that the team is always striving for. That’s your vision. Significant time and resources will be spent pursuing your vision, so make sure it’s a good one.

• • Hold People Accountable — When somebody is consistently cutting corners, going through the motions, and not performing at the standard you expect, you have to do something about it. As a manager, you can’t be friends with people on your team. Yes, it’s important to develop relationships, but you need to remain distant enough that you can hold somebody accountable if needed. When you don’t, high performers will lose respect for you, they’ll begin to resent you, and they will leave.

• • Address Issues Right Away — When you have an issue with someone on your team — or you sense that they have a problem with you — address it right away with good, honest conversation. Toxic animosity builds when you don’t address problems with strong communication. Be direct with people and don’t beat around the bush (scene from Moneyball). Lag time is a killer in any relationship. 

• • Bring Passion and Enthusiasm — To be a great leader, you have to have a passion for teaching and helping others achieve their full potential. This is non-negotiable. You must love to teach. You also MUST bring energy. Your team feeds off of you. Bring enthusiasm and positive energy to every meeting and interaction. Enthusiasm and passion are infectious. Bill Walsh writes: “I came to understand over my years as an assistant coach that when the audience is bored, it’s not their fault. And when they’re plugged in and excited, it’s because of you, the person in charge.”

• • Treat People Well — Aim to be “first class” in how you treat people and take care of them. Show your appreciation. 

• • Build Around Proven Talent — When you identify someone who is talented, works hard, performs at a really high level, is organized, pays attention to detail, and is disciplined and committed, make sure you invest in and build around that person. Prioritize individuals who are proven in these areas. These are the people you want to build around. 

• • It Takes Everyone — It’s true that your most talented people will drive where your team goes, but the “bottom 20%” are equally important. Your goal as a leader is to get the most out of everyone on your team, and that includes the folks who aren’t top performers. Try to build these people up and help them understand what an important role they play on the team. They need to take pride in their roles.

• • Hard On Yourself, Lenient With Others — If you’re in a position of leadership, it’s likely because you’re a high performer who pushes hard all the time. You live in this world and in this mindset, but the reality is that most other people don’t. You have to remember this and strike the right balance between pushing your team really hard — as you push yourself — and allowing some slack in the line so your team doesn’t get burnt out. You have to know when to push people and when to let off the gas. You need to know what projects need maximum focus and effort from your team, and which do not. It’s a fine line that you must balance. 

• • Walk Around — Building a team requires building connections with your people. You can’t do that sitting in your office all day with the door closed. A way to encourage connection and collaboration on your team is to walk around and talk to people. Ask them about their job, their life outside of work, and more. Show a genuine interest in them as people. All great organizations and teams have leaders who do this; it’s crucial for building the right culture. As Bill Walsh writes: “If you are uncomfortable walking around your team’s workplace, awkward and out of place, you are a disconnected leader – not really part of the team. Sitting in your office with the door closed and issuing edicts from on high is not communication, and it is certainly not collaborative leadership.”

• • Outwork Everyone — You set the tone for the rest of the team. When they see you working hard, they’ll feel the need to step up their game to meet the example and expectations you’re setting. Bill Walsh writes: “I believe it is safe to say there is no single individual in the organization – player, assistant, coach, trainer, staff member, groundskeeper, or anyone else – who could accurately say he or she outworked me. . . I never asked anyone to do more than I was willing to do, nor what I wasn’t willing to do.”

Finally, as a leader it is crucial that you create chemistry and connection within your team. The best teams “play for each other” — in other words, every member of the team truly cares about the person beside them. All great organizations have this: An environment where people put the team ahead of their individual interests. The last thing you want is a team of “individuals.” Work hard to create a sense of family on your team — that’s how you generate the best performance across the board. One way to do this is group outings.