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Building great teams
One of the challenges of being a new leader is getting to grips with the fact that you're now running a team, rather than just being part of one or working on your own.
A good leader possesses authority along with strong communication skills and a lightness of touch that draws the various personalities present in the team together so that they work well towards achieving their joint goals. This may seem like a tall order in the early days but it is something that can be developed through experience.
"My first management role was in my own company. It was all new to me; I'd never done it before. I didn't know how to manage people. I learned though, that I had to get my own self confidence right and be right in myself before I did it properly. I probably was heavy-handed to start with, but I know now that doesn't get the best out of people. I couldn't understand why others didn't share my passion. To the team, it was just a job."
Deirdre Bounds
i-to-i.com
Every leader has his or her own style, and when developing a high performing team this needs to be combined with an understanding of:
- the benefits of team-building - what it can achieve and what the leader should be striving for
- team roles and dynamics - how teams work and achieve their greatest success
- the key stages of team development - what they are and how to support the team in each stage
"I work in a very non-hierarchical area, it's a very flat structure. And journalists are never short on coming forward - so I have to be very aware of how I'm coming across. It's a continual process of self review. I run the office in a very collegiate way - you can't isolate yourself, you need input from the team."
Lisa Buckingham
Editor, Financial Mail on Sunday
Step one: Understand what makes a good team leader
Leadership, in broad strokes, is the capacity to establish direction and motivate others towards working for a common aim. Successful teamwork depends on the team leader's ability to make sure all team members know what that aim is and what they each need to do to achieve it.
Naturally, all teams are different and have their own dynamic, and all leaders develop their own style for forming, developing, and leading them, but there are some general characteristics of a good team leader. For a team to work, it's essential that all members are committed, so leaders must be supportive, enthusiastic, and motivating people to work with. They must organise and communicate well in order to co-ordinate team efforts both within the team and with others outside the team. During difficult or stressful times, team leaders need to be approachable, good listeners who can offer feedback and advice.
"Your role as a leader is to encourage, inspire and elevate. That's what you have to do."
Emma Harrison
A4e Ltd
This article features in "Succeed as a New Leader" from the series of everywoman Simple Approach to business guides. For more information on the series visit www.everywoman.co.uk/bookshop
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