From running a team here is my 2 cents:<p>Transparency, Empowerment, Challenges and provide Leadership<p>Transparency: This doesn't mean provide lip service to being transparent or saying you have an open door. It means truly being transparent and sharing the good and bad, helping the team see why both are normal. Shared pains and shared wins make the team feel involved and appreciated, and will endear them to the leadership and the goals of the team.<p>Empowerment: Empower the team and each individual to solve problems and don't force decisions down their throat. To many people say empowerment but than dictate to the team what they want or interfere by trying to directly micromanage the project. Requirements are great, if there are specific non-negotables share them, but get out of the way of your team. If you hired the right people this will pay off in spades, if you didn't, it won't take long to figure it out.<p>Leadership: Notice I said leadership and not management. The difference is drastic and a leader has a team that is focused and performing at their best, meaning they will almost always stick around. Managers, not so much. I could write a whole post on just the insanity I have seen around this one point alone. Here is something I always tell my team: my job is to support you and remove roadblocks for you, your job is to get stuff done and tell me when you have a need.<p>Challenge is a no brainer, smart people want to use their talents, your job is to help them do that.<p>One last point on my own teams, I refuse to ever ask them to do something I won't do. Of course, I am not always qualified, but I use it as a compass, if I am asking them to do something I won't or wouldn't do than something is wrong and they will know it and I will lose their respect.<p>For why I have left a team:<p>First, I always like to give it time to see how teams gel, cause nothing happens overnight. This could mean a 6 months on the low side to a couple of years on the high side. It is tough call to pull the trigger and bail for me when I have great teammates but poor leadership (read managers) above me. BTW: I have found getting the team together outside of work, usually for a few beers, helps speed the gel process regardless of what my role on the team is.<p>Poor leadership: or more directly, a manager. I am a smart guy, I don't need you micromanaging my work, if you want to micromanage me, then do the damn stuff yourself. You hired me to do a job, support me and get out of the way.<p>At the same time, I want feedback and preferrably often and regular. If I am going off track, show me where and <i>teach</i> me why you made that call, don't bitch, don't just say "cause", teach and inform.<p>Ok, I have rambled too much. Can you tell I care deeply about this? lol