Leading a team is not an easy task; that is if you want to lead effectively!
A leader has many responsibilities: setting direction, formulating strategies, planning, aligning stakeholders, motivating, being a spokesperson, being a change agent, developing team members, etc. Unfortunately, we can’t do all of them well; even a super talented person has his limit.
It’s hard to have a good team. I’m not saying it’s rare; I’m saying it takes an effort to nurture and maintain one.
Some of us have been with teams where the leader is only interested in getting the job done; in which we’re mere tools for the leader to achieve his/her goals. Chances are, I would move on as soon as an opportunity comes along.
Continue reading “5 simple ways to show your team you value them”
One major challenge of all team leaders is to keep their teams motivated. A motivated team would not only give their best but also stay together longer.
I was privileged to be with highly-motivated teams and have led several ones too. But not all teams started that way.
One team that I led was particularly challenging because they were already demoralised when I took over as the team leader!
You have probably heard the saying that “Leadership is getting things done.” or, “Leadership is getting things done through other people.”
A good leader, however, needs to realise that leadership is as much about the people as about the tasks. You can only succeed as a leader if your team succeed!
Continue reading “Five things your team need from you, the leader, in order to succeed.”
The word “Team” means different things to different people.
When I work with team leaders and their teams, I often encounter different notions of what the “team” really is. One team leader may use the word to refer generally to everyone who works under him, while another might refer to a specific group of people.
Even within a team, each member might have a different understanding of what the “team” is; this might even be different from the team leader’s understanding!
Continue reading “5 key decisions you need to make about your team”
