Some people choose to seek a leadership path. Being a team leader isn’t the same as being a boss. You can not expect that people will do everything you want just because you have this job title. A talented and ambitious leader is one who walks ahead of the team and clears all the branches on the way with a machete. Leaders know the answers to most questions and are capable of taking decisions.
As you can understand, it is not the easiest job. Team leaders balance between employers and employees while trying to get some work done. On the other hand, this role can give you the freedom to create and a lot of satisfaction.
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Here is what you need to know in order to become a successful team leader:
Educate yourself:
To lead people, you should be a detail-oriented professional yourself. It’s recommended to gain valuable work experience before getting promoted to a leadership role.
Before becoming a team leader, try out different jobs and don’t hesitate to ask your co-workers about their work duties during lunch breaks. It will help you to find a connection with team members and delegate the tasks to the right people.
As a present or future team leader, you should never stop educating yourself. Consider getting a diploma of work health and safety in order to develop your management capabilities. Also, you will be able to find a lot of leadership courses online. So, refresh your knowledge from time to time and don’t think you are the smartest person in the room because it might be wrong.
Delegate tasks:
Team leaders have a lot of responsibilities. However, you are not alone in this; you have a team that can help you out whenever you need it. Sometimes people can’t see how stressed or overloaded with work you are. As a team leader, you should start delegating tasks to the right people without blaming anyone for not reading your mind. You should be leading people, not doing their job.
Before you start delegating tasks, talk to your team members and uncover their talents and skills. When you assign a project to someone, you should be clear about the deadline and all the details. Your team members should feel your presence, so remain open to discussion. Let them know that you are there to guide them.
Check new hires by giving them smaller tasks. It’s the way to understand what they are capable of doing. Also, it will help to build their competence and confidence in the workplace.
You might make mistakes and delegate a task to the wrong person. If it happens, explain to the team member what exactly you want them to change. Once again, no one can read your mind! Keep track of these situations and make sure it will never happen again.
Get to know your team:
To manage your team successfully, you should learn as much as possible about each member. Your team members have different goals, motivations, and intentions. So, your main task is to get to know people as soon as possible. For instance, you can ask the previous supervisor/ manager about their experience. Keep in mind that prism can distort reality, so don’t trust everything other people tell you about your team.
Another way to get to know people is to schedule one-on-one meetings with them. Ask everyone about their short-term and long-term goals and what they would like to improve and learn. Feel free to use this information in the future – all people want to be heard and feel valued.
Also, don’t keep yourself at a distance from everyone else in the office. Sit next to your team and let them observe you. It will make them think that you are an integral part of the team and that you don’t escape responsibilities. Once they see how hard-working and open you are, they will feel more comfortable around you.
Don’t hesitate to hang out with your team members. Parties and other team-building activities have always been great icebreakers.
Be a good person:
Your team should trust and respect you. Obviously, the team members will not do it only because you command them to do that. You can only earn respect. To do so, you should behave appropriately.
Here is what not to do:
- Gossip
- Put people down
- Steal business ideas
- Blame others for failures
- Think you always know best
- Do everything yourself
Here is what you should do as a team leader:
- Get to know your team
- Listen carefully
- Help people grow professionally
- Resolve conflicts
- Delegate tasks
- Protect your team
- Be a good example
The Bottom line:
Being a team leader isn’t the easiest job in the world. You will have a lot of responsibilities and stress. However, you can apply leadership strategies to make it easier for yourself. You should spend more time with your team and understand what they are capable of doing in the company. Be a role model for them – the one who keeps the word and does the work on time.
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