In order to lead your teams with clarity, vision, and mutual respect, you’ll need to start from the ground up. Great leaders always begin as great followers, and often, the skills they learn during the process stay in use for the duration of their careers. Here are a few key following tips that can, ironically, help you get ahead.

1. Earn trust.

Before you expect others to trust you, you’ll need earn that trust by following through on every commitment you make, no matter how small. That means don’t make commitments you can’t keep. When tasked with a project, don’t answer with “I’ll try” or “That sounds doable.” Either commit or don’t. Then do whatever it takes to come through.

2. Show empathy.

Empathy isn’t sympathy; it’s the ability to place yourself in the position of another person and envision exactly what that person is going through, even if they haven’t explained their position or their feelings in words. In order to be a great follower, and eventually a great leader, you’ll need to exercise this skill with your superiors, your underlings, and your peers. Everyone faces a different set of pressures– demonstrate that you understand other pressures besides your own.

3. Offer solutions.

Don’t just point out problems. Company managers and owners build teams of staff around themselves so they can put multiple eyes on every problem and multiple hands on every task. But don’t stop at identifying and reporting problems. Instead, come to your boss—and your direct reports—with potential answers and solutions. Just as you turn to your boss with a suggested improvement in operational efficiency, provide guidance to your employees. Don’t just criticize without giving advice, help, and direction.

4. Lead by example.

This is a continuous loop. Bosses get more respect from their employees if they show the way instead of telling. You’ll win your team over if you roll up our sleeves now and then and tackle the most dirty, daunting tasks they face, like cleaning the grease traps or facing off with an angry client. At the same time, employees get more respect from their bosses if they communicate boldly, ask directly for what they need, and solve problems on their own. If you want your boss to behave in a certain way or show respect for your circumstances, show respect for hers first. Model the behavior you’d like to see in others, both above and below your level.

For more on how to lead, follow, or otherwise guide your entire organization toward victory, make an appointment with the staffing pros at Expert.