The Role of the Leader in Enhancing Efficacy

    Building Individual and Team Efficacy Through Leadership

    For leaders, building individual and collective team efficacy is a compelling priority given the outcomes it drives — from stronger engagement to sustained improvements in safety performance.

    Practical Strategies to Strengthen Team Efficacy

    Leaders can deliberately influence efficacy through consistent behaviours and structured support. The following approaches are particularly effective:

    1. Coach More, Especially Where It’s Needed Most

    Spend more time coaching and developing people — particularly those who may be struggling. Targeted coaching builds confidence, skill, and belief in capability.

    2. Recognise Success Clearly and Promptly

    Celebrate individual and team successes frequently and in a timely manner.
    When someone deflects praise with “It was a team effort”, acknowledge the collective — but also explore their contribution:

    “Let’s talk about your role in the team’s improved safety performance.”

    This reinforces ownership, competence, and personal impact.

    3. Role Model Under Pressure

    Your behaviour is most closely observed when pressure is high or a minor crisis occurs. At these moments, people assess your true default position.

    • Be conscious of verbal and non-verbal language

    • Focus on resolution, not blame

    • Emphasise: “What can we do to fix this?”

    4. Leverage Your Network

    Use your organisational and professional network to support development:

    • Invite staff to attend Executive Safety meetings

    • Facilitate access to people with subject-matter expertise

    • Create exposure beyond immediate roles

    5. Affirm Confidence at the End of Interactions

    Conclude meetings by expressing belief in people’s capability:

    “This is a big challenge, but when you look at what we’ve achieved in recent months, we can do this.”

    This signals trust, belief, and confidence.

    6. Involve Teams in Goal Setting

    Where possible, enable individuals and teams to help set their own targets — or at least contribute to part of their goals. Ownership increases commitment and confidence.

    Coaching for Efficacy: Reinforcing Success

    When coaching individuals or teams after a meaningful success — especially one that required persistence or adaptation — revisit the experience deliberately.

    Reflective Questions That Build Efficacy

    Guide people through their success using questions such as:

    • What did you do?

    • What roadblocks did you encounter — and why didn’t you give up?

    • When did you realise you were going to break through?

    • What setbacks surprised you?

    • What did you learn from the experience — about the task and about yourself?

    • How can this help you support others going forward?

    By revisiting the effort and behaviours behind success, people internalise persistence, capability, and mastery.

    Making Safety Training Stick

    Too often, follow-up after safety training is informal and superficial — a quick conversation by the coffee urn:

    “Did you enjoy the training?”
    “Yes.”
    “Great.”

    Better Follow-Up Questions

    A more effective approach is to ask:

    • What did you learn?

    • When and where will you apply it?

    • What support do you need to do that?

    This reinforces the importance of the training and strengthens the link between learning and real-world application — further building efficacy and competence.


    Are You Actively Building Team Efficacy?

    To assess whether you are strengthening your team’s sense of efficacy, reflect on the following:

    Self-Assessment for Leaders

    To what extent are you:

    1. Showing genuine interest in your staff’s learning experiences?

    2. Making yourself available as a sounding board?

    3. Leaving people feeling more valued after spending time with you?

    4. Creating psychological safety when mistakes occur?

    5. Providing rewards that individuals genuinely value?

    Leadership Efficacy Starts With You

    Ultimately, your belief in your people — and in the team’s ability to create a safer, better work environment — is the most powerful driver of collective efficacy.

    At the same time, leaders should not neglect their own efficacy:

    • Can you influence the change you want?

    • Can you lead the people you are responsible for?

    • Are you actively developing your own capability as a leader?

    You are not a finished product either.


    Evidence and Perspective on Efficacy

    Footnote
    “Personal efficacy improves the management of taxing work demands. Efficacious people are more inclined to take action to improve their work situation, reducing depression and health problems associated with lack of control.”
    — Bandura, p.311

    Another way to view efficacy is captured by a familiar motto found in sporting clubrooms:

    “Whether you think you can or think you can’t — you’re right.”

     

    About the Author

    Steven Ball — Leadership & Team Development Specialist

    Steven Ball is a leadership and organisational development specialist with over three decades of experience working across a wide range of industries and organisational levels.

    He has supported more than 200 organisations and 30,000 individuals across seven countries, working with frontline teams, senior leaders, and executive groups. His work focuses on leadership effectiveness, safety culture, and sustainable behavioural change.

    Steven has delivered the Investment in Leadership Excellence program more than 300 times internationally and has facilitated leadership development programs for 500+ senior leaders, combining practical application with evidence-based frameworks. If you would like to read more about Steven and his workshops on Essemy, click this link.

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