I always wondered how some teams are successful and some
are not. From outside, it looks like both the teams have same number of people
with similar experience and profiles. So, what does one team lack than the
other? I believe it is definitely the “Leadership” that makes the difference.
You need a strong leader for any team. I am not even using the term “Manager”
here as I think “Leader” is the better and more powerful word. All Leaders can
be Managers but not all Managers can be Leaders.
A Leader is someone who trusts you, motivates you,
encourages you, challenges you, empowers you, supports you, coaches you, guides
you and someone you can look up to. I know I threw in a lot in the list, but
each and every team member looks for these in their leader. Let’s talk through
these qualities.
Trust –
This is certainly an important quality of a Leader. A
true leader builds the trust with their team member during the course of
building the relationship. And trust should be two-way as well. Leader should
trust the team member and the team member should trust the leader too. This
obviously takes time and energy. But having the mutual trust helps the
relationship and takes it to next level.
Motivation –
Motivation is another important quality. Each team member
gets motivated by a different factor. Identifying that motivation factor for
each of your team member is really critical. If someone is motivated by a note
of recognition or appreciation, providing that recognition in front of their
peers motivates them better rather than taking them to a lunch privately. Some
get motivated by money and there is nothing wrong with that. Those team members
should be incentivized by giving a gift card or a free lunch. None of them need
to be elaborate or expensive, but motivating the team members at the right time
with the right factor is crucial.
Encouragement –
A true leader encourages the team members when they come
up with new ideas or suggestions. Even if you believe it is not going to work,
do not tell the team members directly rather ask more questions and make them
think through their idea. Innovation within the team starts with an
encouragement from a true leader. If the team member has no encouragement to do
anything outside their job responsibilities, there is not anything new in the
team and no innovation occurs.
Challenge –
Each team member has their own strengths and a strong
leader identifies that and challenges them accordingly. Some get excited to be
challenged on their strengths and some get excited to be challenged to work on
their weaknesses as the opportunity of growth. Both allow the team members to
learn and grow. This is one of the key things that a true leader needs to focus
on.
Empowerment –
True leaders empower their team members to achieve more.
They understand that they need a strong team for the greater accomplishments.
True leaders get excited when they identify a leader in the team and they never
get worried about the competition.
Coaching –
True leaders act as a coach to their team. They are
readily available to guide and support in the right direction anytime. They
create a mentor/mentee relationship with the team members and be successful
with it. They understand that they are also learning from the coaching
relationship.
True leaders understand that the team members look up to
them. They talk, behave and do things the way they want the team members to do
as well. They are honest and trustworthy to their team members.
True Leaders strive to excel as a role model.
