Effective team leadership: where to start?

How to be a good team leader in 7 key steps

I want to be clear in saying that there is no seven, 12 or even 100 step formula that will automatically make you a brilliant leader … but for those wondering how to be a good team leader, there are some fundamentals. worth going down.

1. Know your team’s leadership style

The first step is self-assessment. Before thinking about the needs of your team, think about the strengths and weaknesses you bring to the table. Think about how you would like to receive information and how you communicate best. Think about whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. Ask yourself what Really motivates you. And try to put together a basic picture of your team’s leadership style.

This shouldn’t be just a busy job. I highly recommend spending a few days reflecting on these points, talking to people who know you well, and even trying to write a clear vision of your team’s leadership style.

2. Effective team leaders take the time to lead

As a team leader, you already have a lot of responsibilities on your plate. It is critical that you create time and opportunities to be visible to your team members and offer your support.

This may mean that you actually spend some time in your schedule or on your Google Calendar to walk around the room, have “office hours”, take employees to lunch, or do something else that allows you to spend time with the people you meet. you want. they are leading. Simply put, without that investment of time, you simply won’t have an effective team leadership style.

3. Know your people

As you take the time to engage with your team, make sure you intend to get to know each of them. In particular, try to determine what motivates each employee and where each employee has strengths or weaknesses.

Team leadership often means putting together various advantages and disadvantages, such as pieces of puzzles, matching employees that strengthen each other, or compensate for each other’s weaknesses. It also means knowing how to select the right person for any given role or project. All this requires a real knowledge of the equipment.

4. Good team leaders communicate

That word will be very important to you in your role as a team leader. In fact, for anyone who wants to know how to be a team leader in the workplace, I don’t think there is anything more critical than being international in the way you communicate.

Set expectations. Be clear about your team’s mission and purpose. Let employees know how and when they can connect with you. It is always better to over-communicate than to under-communicate.

5. Leaders set an example

Even in those moments when you are not actively communicating, is it so Being watched. Like it or not, your team members see you as an example and will quickly copy your behavior.

Do you want to have a corporate culture marked by a sense of balance? Have your employees leave before six in the afternoon so they can go home and be with their families? Then you have to make sure you are not in the office at all hours of the night. Show them the type of culture and the type of values ​​that you want them to defend.

6. Delegate of effective team leaders

Another thing all leaders must do is delegate. Don’t assume you can do it all yourself. Trust the people around you to step up and do great work, freeing some of the you Time to go!

If you whose Trust your team members to do a good job, or if you’re eager to delegate to them, that’s a problem. Specifically, it is a hiring problem. Simply put, if you can’t trust the people you’ve recruited, then it’s hard to justify why they are on your team. Learn to share your responsibilities with others, but also make sure that you constantly surround yourself with good and unconditional people!

7. Effective team leaders make decisions

To be an effective team leader, you ultimately need to make some decisions. That doesn’t mean you have to be brash. On the contrary, it is always important to review the available data, think critically, and make the right decision.

What you can’t do is agonize over every last decision you have to make, to the point where you’re just wasting your time. Sooner or later, you have to rip off the Band-Aid and follow through with your decision and all the consequences that come with it. Sometimes you will do well, and when you do, you should celebrate. And sometimes you will be wrong. When he does, be sure to learn from him.