“If your actions inspire others to dream more ,learn more, do more and become more ,you are a leader ”.John Quincy Adams
A good team is one that has a strong leader. This leader will be able to effectively lead the team in team work and in the pursuit of the set goals and objectives. This chapter looks at some of the qualities that a good leader should posses.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to know who to elect a leader for your team. You will also get to know whether or not, you can lead the team? You may also learn whether your current team leader has what it takes to lead your team.
A good team leader should be able to encourage and support his or her team. This is what can help build a strong team. Enabling people to be the best that they can be, also improves the general performance of the team as a whole.
A good team leader also listens to the grievances and requests of the team and presents this to the organization. The leader should be willing to effectively represent his team whenever need arises.
Great Interpersonal Skills and Strong Relatable Character
A good leader should have good character. He should be someone that the team members can easily talk to. A good leader knows where to strike the balance between being friendly and authoritative at the same time.
If a team respects their leader, they will be able to follow and work together effectively. However, a team that fears their leader will not be able to work well together.
A good leader should always be confident in everything that they do. A team may easily fail to follow a person who seems to be unsure about themselves or the tasks in hand. The team may also fail to respect such a leader. A confident leader can also easily inspire others to be their best and work hard at attaining their set objectives.
A confident person is more likely to lead a team effectively.
There are different types of teams. There is a team that may just try to complete assignments fast without paying attention to quality. There are others that can’t be bothered and normally fail to meet objectives or deadlines. These teams have weak leaders who fail to lead them in the right direction. A good team leader should always have integrity and commitment to excellence. They should seek to have the performance from the team. Such a leader ensures that the team remains productive at all times.
As a leader, you have to set high standards and equally high expectation levels. This will help your team embers to aim high each time.
If a team leader isn’t focused then it’s very hard for the team to work together to realize their goals. A distracted team is likely to postpone assignments or even fail to work together if at all they don’t share common objectives.
A focused leader will be firm at ensuring that every member of the team participates in helping achieve the set goals and objectives. He normally has his mind set of increasing productivity and the output quality of the team.
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
A team leader helps in grooming a member of his team to take over the leadership role in future. If the leader notices some potential in a member, he will try and help the member realize their full potential. A true leader helps in creating other leaders without being scared of sharing the spotlight.
You can’t lead people if at all you can’t express yourself effectively. Communication is about just being able to be understood. You need to watch out for small issues that may bring a communication breakdown. Learn to be polite and to talk to your teammates with respect. A leader who constantly yells doesn’t inspire his or her team. You should also not issue orders. Learn to discuss and make requests or assign roles.
You should also learn to be listener. This is a very effective communication skill. You can learn a lot and get to work well with others if only you learn how to listen first.
An effective leader should know how to think outside the box. Such a person will be able to make the team develop and progress well.
A team will not be able to perform well if they aren’t motivated. You need to keep the team in high spirits. You don’t have to give incentives but just simple things can keep your team motivated. For instance, if someone does something good, it’s good to take not and compliment them.
There are teams that acknowledge “the employee of the month/year”. This form of appreciation is also very effective as it motivates the team members to work hard.
Once your team a member excels in a project you should congratulate or show them some appreciation. This will motivate them to work harder.
A team is normally made up of people of different personalities and ideologies. This means that from time to time, there will conflicts among members.
A team leader should be able to resolve these conflicts without taking sides or making unfair judgment. He should always ensure that the team gets along and can work together at all times.
As a team leader, you have to realize that you are also part of the team. You can’t make decisions individually, you need your team. You should be able to work with the others.
If you are the kind of person who strongly believes that individualism brings the best results, you will not be able to accomplish much as part of the team.
As human beings, we tend to be naturally drawn to some people and repelled by others. You may have things in common with someone and this is what draws you to them. However, as a team leader, you can’t have favoritism. You have to be impartial and treat everyone equally. You also need to stop thinking about yourself. If you have an idea that the group doesn’t support, try and get their point of view. Don’t try to impose your views on everyone. In addition you have to put your emotions aside.
As a leader, you have to stay knowledgeable at all times. Try and read wide and consult with others. You have to stay ahead in the industry. This knowledge will be used to empower the team members. It will also be reflected in the overall performance of the team.
When you realize that your team members are doing the wrong things, you have to correct them in the right way. You should give them positive criticism to make them rectify. The same way, you should be able to accept criticism and use it to become a better leader.
An active leader normally sets the best examples. He or she managed to fully be part of the team. As a leader, participation is important. An absentee leader who delegates tasks and then leaves can never be successful. You are part of the team so you better make a contribution. A good leader stays involved with his team. He doesn’t delegate duties and then go away.
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