How to Lead a Team
History is peppered with great leaders — kings, dictators, religious icons, military men, and other colorful individuals — who at one time or another influenced our way of life.
It takes guts to lead any type of team or organization. Just ask former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson who stirred his squad to six NBA titles in eight years. You can also learn a lot from Moses who painstakingly led his people to travel across the Red Sea.
You may not come face to face with such a monumental task, but you will be asked to lead a team whether at school or at work at one point in your life.
Take heart and be prepared. As a leader, you need to establish the proper skills and attitude needed among the different members of your group to form a cohesive unit. Here are some key steps to take to set your team goals in order.
Establish your team vision and goals early on.
To be able to function effectively as a leader, you need to exude confidence at the onset. Only then can you communicate a clear vision for your team. Why not start a project with a kick-off meeting to get things going? You can clearly define roles and the overall goal of the team. Initially, you can also identify the key strengths and weaknesses of each member. Make sure that everyone agrees upon these and put these onto paper.
Follow a schedule to check progress.
Depending on the project, you should let everyone know that there are deadlines to be followed. Set up a weekly meeting schedule. Team members can share their progress, highlight problems encountered and other key points that can be beneficial to all. Everyone should understand that any sort of delay or changes in the schedule can disturb the success of the entire project.
Learn what motivates the team members.
Address the “What’s in it for me?” question for the team members. Everyone should not only have a personal goal but also professional rewards that can motivate him or her until the completion of the project. Also, once a member makes great progress, you should be able celebrate small victories and acknowledge a job well done.
Communicate progress and status.
Each member should be able to give his or her own status reports and the corresponding solutions to their problems. If there are changes in the system, you should be able to let everyone know so that there will be no miscommunication in terms of tasks and goals.
Learn from everyone.
As a leader, you do not only want to exert your influence, you must also try to learn from others. Share your key learnings — the things that worked well for you and any points for improvement. Give praise if it is due and always be open for changes. Remember that nobody is perfect but still, it is important to keep your eyes on the prize.
A successful team requires a strong and capable leader who knows how to encourage people and pilot his or her team towards the group’s objective. With the proper attitude and mindset, you should be able to lead your team to greater heights.