If you want your team to understand your company's purpose and how they fit into it, then use your daily actions -- on purpose -- to reinforce it in meetings, hiring practices and communication by highlighting how their jobs make an impact, writes university professor Benjamin Laker, who notes that consistency is key. "Employees notice what leaders celebrate and what they overlook. When they see alignment between words and behavior, they respond with commitment. When they see contradiction, they respond with cynicism," Laker writes.

Put it into practice: Use meetings to reflect on how your team's work contributes to your company's purpose and tell stories about the real-world impact of what your team does, Laker suggests. "Purpose does not need to be discovered in a retreat or written by a consultant. It needs to be practiced daily -- in decisions, in language, in how leaders show up when things go wrong."

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Retention is becoming less of a leadership challenge as employees "job hug" amid economic uncertainty, but this presents an opportunity for leaders to focus on regeneration, writes leadership expert Julie Winkle Giulioni. This includes engaging in development conversations and encouraging safe experiments to keep employees engaged and thriving. "Investing in their growth sends a powerful signal of support while also allowing employees to take constructive action to prepare for an uncertain future," Winkle Giulioni writes.

Put it into practice: Re-energize your team by giving them a chance to try new ideas, celebrate the lessons learned from mistakes and model how you've done new things and grown from missteps, writes Winkle Giulioni. "No-fault forays inject energy, build resilience, foster adaptability and enable a sense of accomplishment."

Seattle Storm head coach Sonia Raman shares her approach to delivering constructive criticism quickly during high-pressure situations, emphasizing the importance of building trust with players through genuine interactions throughout the year. "There's not going to be a lot of time. You have to be really direct, and you have to go for it," Raman says. By showing players she cares about them beyond their athletic performance, Raman creates an environment where honest communication and constructive criticism are more easily accepted.

Put it into practice: Your relationship with each of your team members is unique, which means your technique should be too, but start with genuine interactions, Raman says. "As I make those connections and [my players] start to understand that I care, and that I care not just about the wins and the losses, but about them as people, then the rest of the conversations flow."