Solid leadership is one of the primary characteristics of a good manager and is something that can help make or break a company. Regardless of the size of the team that you manage, there are a few general things that you can do in order to be an inspirational leader and provide direction. Here are three ways to lead a team to success.

1. Listen to Employees

Regardless of the job title of each individual, all employees are there to learn from each other. If you are a manager, you generally have more say about things than your subordinates. However, it is still wise to listen to those who you manage in order to learn where you should take your team next. Regardless of how hands-on of a manager you are, your employees are the ones who perform their tasks on a day-to-day basis and have the most insight into what, if anything, should change within the company in order for the business to grow and become more successful.

2. Give Employees Reachable Goals

Goal setting is important in every work environment, whether you run a retail establishment, accounting firm, or one of the other myriad types of businesses out there. Goals should be something that workers can strive toward while still being attainable. Attainable goals generally:

• Include a timeline
• Leave room for assessing progress and making adjustments
• Are measurable 

If a goal is too easy, employees will wonder what is the point of their job. However, if a goal is too difficult to reach, employees might become frustrated and give up on their tasks quickly. An important aspect of leadership is being able to give employees goals and encourage them along the way.

3. Provide Feedback to Employees

If you want to lead your workers to success, you need to ensure that they know what they are doing right as well as the areas in which they need to improve. Take some time to provide feedback on a regular basis, which could mean every week, each month, or once or twice per year, depending on how many people you manage. For every bit of feedback you give your employees, make sure you follow up with them and let them know whether or not they are meeting expectations and putting that feedback to good use.

These are three of the many ways that a manager can help their employees succeed in a work environment.