Article: Demonstrate your commitment to the team by actively involving yourself in the work that goes on. Don't simply manage the team from afar; join the team members and lead them from the frontline.  A healthy and involved work ethic is an important tool you can use to show your commitment, but keep in mind that there are also times when you need to take a step back and direct from the sidelines. Demonstrating your commitment is simply done by demonstrating your investment in the well-being of the team through your actions. Make the best decisions for your team at any given moment, regardless of the sort of work you'll end up doing individually as a result. Inspire your team by solving one major hurdle or other issue almost immediately. Acting so quickly will show how serious you are about your leadership role and may encourage the rest of the team to be equally serious.  If you're coming into a previously established team, quickly identify a pre-existing problem and address it early on.  When you're leading a team from the start of its creation, watch out for early signs of trouble and address the problems as they arise. You might be the leader of the team, but if you want the other team members to respect you, you'll need to show them respect through your words and actions first. This is especially important if you took the leadership role from someone else who still remains in the group. Avoid criticizing the previous leader's work in direct terms. Instead, correct past errors without pointing out where those errors originated. Perform the work properly and make the best possible decisions, even when doing so is an unpopular move. If you're too focused on trying to “play nice,” you may start slacking on your responsibilities as the team leader. The rest of the team may actually lose confidence in you as a result. It's great to be a well-liked leader, of course, and becoming such a leader is encouraged when it is possible. The point is merely to focus on being trusted as a leader instead of focusing on being liked as a person.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Commit to the team on a personal level. Get something done as early as possible. Give respect to receive respect. Stop fixating on popularity.