How to Become a Better Team Leader
By Business Desk
Wednesday, July 3, 2019.
Every company has its own unique people, challenges, and culture, so there’s no exact formula for success when it comes to effective leadership in any environment. However, it can be said that every great leader possesses certain qualities that don’t necessarily make them an authority over their followers, but an inspiration.
Your team should look up to you and follow in your footsteps because they want to, not because they’re in a lower position in the hierarchy. If everyone is inspired to excel at their jobs, your business will flourish, and goals will be met in record time. Read on to learn more about how you can become a better team leader and propel your business forward.
Express Your Passion
Passion is what drives the push to overcome challenges. If your team can see that you truly care about the goals of your work and aren’t just focused on getting projects done, they too will have a genuine enthusiasm to achieve. Let your group know that you appreciate their willingness to go the extra mile and the difference in performance will show.
Keep an Open Mind
Many leaders make the mistake of believing that only their views and opinions are correct and that nobody else in a lower position can have a say or challenge their opinions. This, of course, is not healthy as your employees might be able to provide valuable insights that can promote growth in your business.
Take the time to actively seek out different points of views and show that you care about your group’s ideas. It will go a long way in making you more approachable and your team more comfortable with openly discussing workplace and project matters.
Show Recognition
One of the best ways to keep your team motivated is to show recognition for their achievements. This will keep them in a positive mood, which is naturally beneficial to their performance. If someone shows strong effort in their work, make a personal or public statement to show that hard work is rewarded in your workplace.
Don’t Stop Learning
It’s arguable that much of the wisdom that successful leaders have comes from experience, but there’s also significant value in learning, especially when it comes to furthering your education. This will equip you with the knowledge that a leader can apply to improve the way they work with others.
For example, you can study for a master of business administration at Kettering University Online, where a leadership theory course is included. This course features a comprehensive overview of theories that will help you develop a stronger sense of leadership in addition to strategic and financial management.
Communicate Effectively
A good leader is able to communicate in an engaging, informative and inspiring way. This will help you express your goals and ideas in a way that sticks with your team, thus providing a clear path for them to work on. Using stories and narratives when speaking will keep your team engaged and motivated.
Overcome Challenges
The last thing a good leader should do when faced with a difficult challenge is lose motivation. Consider every challenge as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow, instead of a roadblock on your path to success. Keep this in the minds of your followers and they will also learn to overcome challenges effectively.
Be Transparent
Openness and honesty are absolutely essential in the modern workplace environment. Keeping poor results, policy changes and failures away from your team is never viable in the long run. If you’re able to show that you care about transparency, there will be a better sense of trust between you and your followers.
In the same light, keeping it real with your employees will put you in the right space, both at work and at home. A happy leader is a more effective leader and an effective leader is better able to keep their followers happy. Everyone benefits when there is honesty among each other.
Underpromise and Over Deliver
Surprises in the workplace are always welcome – provided they’re good ones, such as over-delivering on your promises. There are countless ways you can do this in day-to-day work life, from hosting a surprise event to rewarding team members for their hard work. These types of surprises will put a smile on everyone’s face and promote productivity.
Be Responsive
If you take days to reply to emails, answer queries from your team members, and start new projects, your team will quickly develop the same negative mindset. Good leaders are always on the ball, putting in the time and effort to respond to their followers as soon as possible, ultimately improving everyone’s productivity.
Know Your Weaknesses
Leaders often make the mistake of hiding their weaknesses from their team due to the assumption that they’re expected to be perfect. Yet, everyone knows that nobody is perfect. A good leader will make their weaknesses known and use this to surround themselves with people who compliment those weaknesses with their strengths.
Keep Calm
We’ve learned thus far that lashing out on your team is by no means a good idea. Instilling fear in your followers doesn’t push them to work harder; it keeps them doing just enough to get by. This is why you should always keep a level head and resolve problems in an open, respectful manner.
Look Inwards
While most people would argue that only certain people are capable leaders, this is by no means a healthy mindset. In fact, anyone can become an exceptional leader, but there needs to be a belief in yourself for this to happen. Overcome any intrusive thoughts about failure and don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone.
This doesn’t mean being more demanding and reprimanding when things aren’t going to plan. It means believing that you are capable of inspiring and leading your team on the path to success. Look inwards, learn to lead yourself first, and your mind will follow.
Conclusion
By keeping these concepts in mind and applying them on a daily basis, you will quickly see the benefits of your efforts. This will improve both your own life and that of everyone around you, which is an amazing feeling to have.
