Success 101: A Guide to Becoming a Great Team Leader

In the chaotic orchestra of teamwork, the conductor’s baton holds the key to harmonious collaboration and seamless success. Effective leadership amplifies the symphony of team dynamics, setting the stage for a captivating performance. At the core of this orchestration lies the pivotal role of a team leader, a guiding force with the power to motivate and steer the team to success, using a well-mapped-out strategy produced by the team leader and the team itself.

What is the Role of a Team Leader?

The team leader understands what needs to be achieved and has a strong grasp of what actions need to be taken to get there. A successful team leader embraces the role with a profound commitment to nurturing a culture of mutual respect, trust, and empowerment.

Their presence is the lighthouse guiding the team through turbulent waters, steering towards the shores of collective triumph. They are the teams rock, the go to person who is seen as an accessible resource that the team and management can approach when a need arises regardless of what the issue maybe.

In my humble opinion team leaders are the experienced hand (or at least have the knowledge of where to find that experience or answer). They are the person who truly understands what needs to be done to achieve the success both the organisation and team members are looking for.

Cultivate Effective Communication Skills:

Like a virtuoso refining their craft, mastering the art of communication is the cornerstone of influential leadership. The ability to actively listen, resonate with empathy, and articulate thoughts as clear as a crystalline stream empowers leaders to engage in conversations that resonate at the heart of every team member. The take the language of the management and translate that into digestible parts that each individual team member will clearly understand and be able to work with.

To achieve this, they need to understand each individual they talk to regardless of where they sit within the organisation.  To achieve this, you must spend the time on a regular basis to get to know your manager/owner and each staff member you are responsible for.  Understanding where people are in their own journey and learning how to work with each individual is the one of the keys to successful team leadership.

Understand what ‘success is’ for each individual you engage with is how you create great the environment for fruitful communication and positive outcomes.

Foster a Positive and Inclusive Team Culture:

In the garden of teamwork, every seed of diversity blooms into a vivid tapestry of innovation and resilience. A great team leader cultivates an environment where each member's uniqueness is celebrated, forging a sanctuary where every voice resonates with purpose. Like a skilful gardener, they nurture a culture of inclusivity, tilling the soil for the seeds of greatness to flourish.

Understanding that every individual (like each plant) is different and learning how to best work with that person, encouraging them to grow and contribute what is needed, and going beyond that is where you find leadership success.

The best teams are made up of complementary skills and approaches, not a rigid set of criteria that is expected to be applied strictly across every position. They also understand what rules are not negotiable and what standards are required to meet the expectations. 

A great team is made up of people who understand what they are required to do while also understanding the additional skills they need to learn to help cover the team in times of need.  A team leader drives this understanding and helps create the environment in which everyone has the opportunity to flourish and grow while also understanding that at times we all need to step outside of our comfort zone to support ‘the team’ and its overall objectives.

Leading by Example

A team leader, unlike many managers, is most likely to be the person within an organisation who is capable of leading by example and jumping in when both the organisation and team require this help, albeit until they have transferred the knowledge and skills to other members who can adapt and help when this is required.

To be a great leader you will be known for your ability to be the go to team member in times of need while also understanding how to nurture these qualities within your own teams.

Develop Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Abilities:

When adversity arises, a leader’s strength is tested. Like a master blacksmith honing their craft with each strike of the hammer, great leaders forge the sword of problem-solving and decision-making. Their wisdom breathes life into solutions, and their resolve shapes decisions, carving a path through challenges with the precision of a seasoned artisan.

Great team leaders quickly and effectively learn where to find the answers or solutions and gain the knowledge they need to avoid the same issues in the future. 

Great team leaders have fostered relationships with mentors both inside and outside an organisation, which help them expand their own knowledge base exponentially.

Provide Growth Opportunities for Team Members:

A great team leader's mentorship is akin to a nurturing breeze whispering growth and promise throughout the organisation. They sow the seeds of knowledge, tend to the fields of talent, and watch proudly as the garden of opportunity flourishes with the vibrant colours of accomplishment and ascendancy. Nothing is more satisfying to a great team leader than the success and growth of their team members. 

The goal should never be to “keep’ or hold back the talent but to help it grow and allow it to flourish.  If not within the organisation, then within their career elsewhere.

Most team leaders fail here, driven by unrealistic expectations of managers and owners who do not understand this key to creating exciting, sought-after teams. These teams truly attract the best people, as they know they are working to help grow an organisation while investing in themselves.

Great team leaders are the first to embrace adaptability and resilience:

In the tempest of change, a great leader is an unshakable beacon, weathering the storms and guiding the team through turbulence. Embracing adaptability and resilience, they stand firm as the oak, unyielding in the face of adversity, instilling in their team the strength to face every challenge as an opportunity for growth. 

Tools that help develop great team leaders.

In my personal experience, I have been so grateful to receive and use some wonderful tools in my team leadership journey.

Here are just a few I recommend you invest in to help create great team leaders within your organisation.

1.     Invest in Time Management training with a quality provider or coach. This training will cover creating effective personal growth plans and managing these plans using effective time management skills.

2.     Invest an hour a week with each team member and your manager, ideally in face-to-face meetings (I know this is not always possible today), but given a choice, this is what works best. Make sure you have quarterly physical meetings—they will make a difference. If the team is too big to do this, you may need to break it up into smaller teams with their own leader who you may mentor.

3.     Read – a lot.  A great team leader should be learning as much as they can – invest your personal time to do this – the rewards

4.     Use Kolbe – This tool has helped me to understand the different strengths and weaknesses we all naturally tend to have; it helps teams to understand they are made up of different people with different strengths and learn to appreciate each other a lot better. For more information on Kolbe in New Zealand contact Angela Myers email. angelamyers@yourecruit.co.nz  outside of New Zealand refer to Kolbe.com

5.     Get a mentor and, if possible, start a mentorship programme within your own network, both within the organisation and outside it.

6.     Become a great communicator – workshops, writing courses and investing in learning this skill may be the biggest challenge and yet the most important tool you can develop with your team leaders and your team members. 

I genuinely hope you find my blog useful. If you ever need a place to start, feel free to contact me.

Tony Cutting
for The Job Market

If you found this blog helpful, please do not hesitate to buy me a coffee at this link https://buymeacoffee.com/tonycutting