Peak Performers by Tiffany Uman

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How to become a stronger leader

August 4, 2025

Thank you for joining my Peak Performers newsletter! Every Monday, we share practical tips and scripts to help you land the roles you want, thrive with confidence at work and grow faster.

Being a strong leader isn’t about knowing all the answers.

It’s about how you navigate challenges, inspire action, and create a space where people and ideas thrive.

Yet, for many high-achievers, it's not always obvious. You want to drive results without being overbearing, build relationships without crossing boundaries, and earn respect without demanding it.

The best leaders aren’t perfect. They’re intentional. They focus on actions and lead with clarity, consistency, and empathy. It also isn’t something you “get right" once. It takes practice.

Let's dive in to my simple strategies to help you become a stronger leader and grow your influence.

3 ways to level up your leadership

1. Cultivate trust and transparency

Great leaders enable environments where open communication and honesty are both encouraged and practiced daily. This means being clear about your expectations, being open to receiving feedback, and showing your team that their opinions and contributions are valued.

Here's my go-to strategies to help you with this.

→ Set clear expectations from the start: It's not just about telling your team what you expect from them but also sharing how you will be there to support them. For example, where do they have free rein and where do you need to be involved?

→ Encourage open dialogue: Invite your team members to share their input, feedback and diverse perspectives towards key discussions. Not only will this make them feel heard, but it also garners you more commitment and buy-in given their direct involvement.

→ Provide regular, constructive feedback: If there's an area your team member needs to improve in, it's to their benefit to learn about it directly from you. Create an action plan so they know you're investing in their growth proactively.
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For example, schedule monthly 1:1 meetings with each team member to review their progress, discuss challenges, and provide feedback. Tie it back to their development goals and how actioning this feedback will help them achieve them faster.

This is exactly what we helped our client do which reinforced a key relationship with her VP gaining her even more exposure to the broader leadership team.

→ Demonstrate transparency in your decision-making: Don't simply share what your team has to do. Provide context as to the "why" behind the ask. This allows them to see a clear purpose in their contributions and how it plays into the bigger picture.

→ Acknowledge and address mistakes openly: Show vulnerability when things go wrong. You want your team to see that taking risks and making mistakes happen. Lead by example.

2. Empower through delegation

Effective delegation will help your team grow their skills, build confidence, and take ownership of their work. Great leaders understand that delegation is about entrusting your team with meaningful responsibilities and supporting them to succeed. Here's how.

→ Match tasks with skills and interests: Assess the strengths and developmental needs of your individual team members. Delegate tasks that align with their skills and goals to boost their engagement and effectiveness.

→ Set clear guidelines: When delegating, be clear about the outcomes you expect, but give your team the flexibility to approach the task in their own way. Do not micromanage. Rather, define the scope, deadlines, and any necessary resources at their disposal.

→ Provide ongoing support: Ensure your team has access to the tools and information needed to succeed. This might involve training, access to certain software, or introductions to other stakeholders.

→ Encourage decision-making and critical thinking: Empower your team to make decisions within the scope of their responsibilities. This builds their confidence and demonstrates your trust in their judgment.

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3. Balance feedback and encouragement

Effective leaders create a culture where feedback is seen as a tool for growth and recognition, not something to shy away from. Here's my 4 best practices to follow.

→ Provide timely feedback: Address both strengths and areas for improvement promptly after observing them. This timeliness ensures that the feedback is relevant and easily actionable.

→ Normalize regular feedback sessions: Establish a routine for feedback that both you and your team members come to expect and prepare for, such as during 1:1 status meetings. This directly promotes a 2-way feedback culture consistently and will help you go further together as a team.

→ Acknowledge wins openly: Recognize and celebrate team wins not only privately but also publicly. This can significantly boost morale and set a positive example for the team. This is especially important if your team member succeeded in implementing a new task, overcame a challenge or tried something new.

→ Develop a support plan for improvement: When areas for improvement are identified, collaborate with your team member to create a clear plan of action. This should include specific, achievable steps and the necessary resources or training.

This is an area we supported one of our clients on recently who was new in her role and eager to level up her leadership from the start. By embracing 2-way feedback moments, she received high praises from her senior management team and got on the radar of 2 senior execs who joked about "poaching her from her boss" because they were so impressed with her.

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This week’s mission: Use these 3 strategies to become a stronger leader.

• Trust-building exercise. Choose an important project or decision. Communicate your decision-making process with your team. After sharing, ask for their feedback on your approach like, “Did this explanation help you understand the reasoning?” or “How can I make the process even clearer?”
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• Delegation drill. Identify a task this week that you can delegate to a team member who shows potential in that area. Provide them with the context they need, then let them handle it. Afterwards, discuss what went well and what could be improved.
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• Feedback challenge. After an important interaction this week, ask for immediate input on your feedback style. Use questions like, “Did my comments feel fair?” or “How can I make my feedback more impactful for you?”. Use these insights to fine-tune your feedback approach moving forward.

You've got this!

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