How To Become A Great Team Leader?

1. Provide purpose:

Everything starts with Vision You cannot have a real team without one because people will not find the desire to achieve the common goal. The team members will work together and sacrifice only if they can see what they’re working toward. Capturing and communicating vision is your role as a team leader. Only you can do it. Create an inspiring vision. Provide the big picture and keep the vision of the big picture before yourself and your people. Every team member “has a role to play, and every role has its part in contributing to the bigger picture. Without that perspective, the team cannot accomplish its goal, whether the team’s “game” is sports, business, family, ministry, or government.

2. Build a star team, not a team of stars:

“Everybody on a championship team doesn’t get publicity, but everyone can say he’s a champion.” Be personally a team player. Teach people to cooperate to make a team a winning team, and thus all of the winners. Involve everyone. Establish shared values and an environment oriented to trust, joint creativity, open communication, and cohesive team effort. Help resolve dysfunctional behavior. Facilitate joint problem-solving and collaboration.

3. Establish shared ownership for the results:

Start with yourself; share your results with the group. Shared responsibility is better achieved if the pay and reward system has a significant element that is dependent on the overall outcome. Keep the team informed on how individual members are performing; it is important if individuals’ rewards depend on the performance of the group as a whole.

4. Develop team members to their fullest potential:

Bring out the best in your people. Help team members develop so that all of them can effectively participate in the team. Lead by setting a good example.:- The Train

5. Make the work interesting and engaging.

Create an enjoyable work environment. Encourage entrepreneurial creativity, risk-taking, and constant improvement. This includes also the freedom to fail and have fun in the workplace. Maintain healthy group dynamics. Facilitate problem-solving and collaboration.

6. Develop a self-managing team:

Be a super leader. Develop team members so that they can lead themselves. Don’t give direct commands or instructions; use questions (such as “What do you think should be done?”) and coaching instead. Empower people, delegate authority, and be open to ideas. Trust your team, and rely on their judgment.

Give your people the authority to decide as much as possible. Encourage your team to engage in self-leadership behaviors such as self-observation, role-playing exercises, and self-problem-solving. Encourage your team or groups within your team to evaluate themselves and to give both positive and negative feedback.

Share with the team members certain areas of your responsibility. Ask for their input when you need to decide on recruitment, firing, discipline, training, and promotion.

7. Motivate and inspire team members:

Be enthusiastic, inspire, and energize people. Set stretch goals. Recognize and celebrate team and team member accomplishments and exceptional performances

8. Lead and Facilitate Constructive Communication: 

Lead the rich array of types of communication exchanged between team members that include goal setting, task assignments, work schedules, announcements, problem-solving, performance evaluation, corrective feedback, praise, discussions, etc. Communicate in a way that is truthful and believable to team members.

Provide constructive feedback to the team on where and how it might improve. Encourage open communication among team members and communicate team views to and from other teams. Encourage self-criticism and rehearsal. Strive for team consensus and win-win agreements.

Guide the team based on the upper management direction. Escalate issues that cannot be resolved by the team and communicate team views to upper management. Serve as a focal point to communicate and resolve interface and integration issues with other teams.

9. Monitor, but don’t micromanage:

Avoid close supervision; do not over-boss; do not dictate. Help keep the team focused and on track. Communicate team status, task accomplishments, and direction. Intervene when necessary to aid the group in resolving issues.