The role of leader in human resource management processes has assumed primary importance in an increasingly dynamic and uncertain labor market, which has forced organizations to direct their commitment towards the enhancement of employees. On the other hand, teamwork is also essential in school and sports activities. Managerial talent requires the ability to listen and communicate with one's team, respect for the ideas and suggestions of others and also the ability to transmit trust and confidence to one's employees. With a positive attitude, a pinch of creativity and the acquisition of a talent-oriented mentality, you can become an excellent leader.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Establish Your Role as a Leader
Step 1. Establish a hierarchical ladder
Inadequate leaders are not only those who behave like tyrants and demand empty respect, but also those who do not establish a clear and transparent hierarchy within the team. If you are the leader, you are at the top of the organization, therefore it is up to you to make the final decisions and assign tasks to your team.
- Organize a meeting with your team, especially if you are on your first assignment as a leader or if your team has just been formed. During the meeting, define everyone's roles and common goals as clearly and objectively as possible.
- Draw an organizational chart that depicts your name and your role at the top and the position of each other member of the team in a well-defined hierarchical order.
- Emphasize that you intend to respect the position of each team member, as it is crucial to the success of the team.
Step 2. Find time and ways to lead your team
This not only involves constant and open communication with the team and the necessary contribution to answer any questions, but also the willingness to fill any gaps, solve all kinds of problems and work harder and, often, longer.
- A bad leader assigns homework and projects and comes home early from work. A good team leader always makes sure everyone follows the indicated direction and is ready to take the reins.
- Show your willingness to the team when needed. You should also set limits that everyone will have to stick to. Your team deserves your attention at the right time, but not every time a problem arises.
- Also set limits on your workload. Before accepting a managerial position, address your boss to recalibrate your workload or to address the changes needed to better manage your team.
- As a team leader, you will sometimes be forced to stay in the office after hours, go to work earlier, and even work on weekends. Your goal is to avoid overloading your team members so they don't feel overwhelmed or stressed out too much.
Step 3. Set a good example
As a group leader you may enjoy greater benefits, such as a higher salary and an extra day or two of vacation, but you also need to take on greater responsibilities. When a member of your team makes a mistake, you are responsible for it.
- Treat all team members with respect. Create an atmosphere capable of fostering an open and honest dialogue and show your employees that you are always ready to solve any problem or make changes that could benefit the entire team.
- Bring respect to other groups and employees from different departments. Never criticize others, especially in the presence of your team. After all, if you behaved incorrectly, your collaborators would feel authorized to adopt inappropriate attitudes, which not only denote a lack of respect and professionalism, but backfire on you.
Step 4. Delegate tasks when necessary
Although your job does not consist only in assigning tasks, if you want to emerge as a good leader you need to know when to entrust key tasks to collaborators, with the aim of involving them, empowering them and making them express their full potential.
- Try to be steadfast. Your co-workers will likely respect you more if you show that you are able to make quick and clear decisions. Uncertainty and hesitation are harmful to the organization and undermine the authority of the leader. You are specifically tasked with leading the team and making decisions, so be prepared.
- When you are faced with a decision that could have a negative impact on any member of the group, or you do not have all the information necessary to the case, reach out to your team and ask for an updated report on the ongoing project. Talk to your team members about the various options and embrace their ideas.
Step 5. Manage projects and direct people
To be a good team leader you need to know the difference between managing all the projects your team is working on and leading the team working on those same projects. While you need to keep an eye on all team members and all ongoing projects, you should allow your employees to do their own work.
- In a goal-oriented organization, it is necessary that everyone is made aware of meetings and events, that the programs of each employee are established and respected, and that the necessary time and resources are granted to complete projects successfully.
- The secret of effective leadership lies in offering help and support, limiting impositions. A good leader does not exert excessive control, telling team members how to do anything, but supports them in boosting efficiency and professional growth.
Part 2 of 3: Establish a Relationship with Your Team
Step 1. Earn respect, don't demand it
You have most likely won your managerial position and it was not assigned to you because you were entitled to it, so consider it a privilege.
- Although you are responsible for your team and consequently are at the top of the company organization chart, your role deserves respect.
- Employees are most loyal and enthusiastic when they work in an environment managed by people they can trust. Take a positive attitude towards the team as a whole and show interest in your collaborators even outside the workplace. Learn to listen to them and accept their suggestions.
- Sometimes you will have to face certain obstacles with creativity and make timely and critical decisions, which will not always be shared by the rest of the team. Clearly explain why you made a certain decision and ask for a suggestion or feedback.
- Listen to the point of view of your collaborators and consider their ideas. They will be more likely to accept your role, knowing that their opinions are valued and taken into consideration.
- Stick to the schedules. If your employees believe that working hours are incompatible with their private life, or that they are not respected, team morale could drop, weakening your role as a leader, as well as the productivity of the organization. Grant everyone their own spaces. Establish your weekly schedule exactly, and hold a meeting every Monday to plan everyone's commitments. Plus, give your team members time to complete a project. If you suspend one project to start another, conflicts may arise. At the same time you learn that a task has been done, notify your team.
- If an unexpected project request comes up from another department or your boss, as a leader you will sometimes have to postpone the task. You need to protect your team from any outside pressure.
Step 2. Listen to others
Even if you are the team leader and it is up to you to make the decisions, you should listen to your team's ideas and opinions, whenever possible, and try to accept their suggestions - if they are feasible. Encourage their ideas on how to solve a certain problem or complete a task.
- Accept the suggestions of others. When someone suggests an idea to you, try to rework it and improve it. A good leader is capable of listening as well as speaking. Show that you are resilient.
- If someone offers you a solution or an idea, do not ignore them by saying that you have already tried that type of approach without getting results. The statements “Yes, but…” should also be avoided. Instead of underestimating a proposal, rework it and it will probably work this time.
- Discuss problems with your team. Ask questions to get more ideas or information. Your job as a leader is not to ignore an idea that might not work, but to help the team find the optimal solution.
Step 3. Don't exclude anyone
If someone is behind schedule, help them. Keep a positive attitude and spend some time with him to find out the source of the problem. Give a task to all your employees, regardless of their abilities.
- If you help someone who has difficulty in carrying out a specific task, don't just show them how they should do it. In this way not only will you not contribute to his professional growth, but you will also lower his morale. Nobody likes to feel unable or inadequate.
- If someone needs help, take the opportunity to establish positive working relationships. It facilitates the performance and growth of team members by providing them with the support they need to complete a task. If you are overworked, try to find some free time.
Step 4. Encourage your team
When your employees are not productive for fear of being negatively evaluated, your ability to build a solid relationship with your team must come into play to create enthusiasm, instill trust and be a source of inspiration. Prove that the task is doable, albeit difficult, and make it fun. Celebrate and reward positive results.
- Enthusiasm is contagious. If you instill confidence and enthusiasm and lay the foundations for a constructive and productive situation, your team will respect you and consider you a true leader and your enthusiasm will stimulate creativity and the desire to commit.
- Commend your team for a job well done, even if a small one. Compliments and acknowledgments will make your employees feel appreciated and improve the business climate. While you can't reward a job well done with a pay raise, words of appreciation count for far more than other privileges. If your team is doing a great job, consider taking them out for lunch to celebrate their achievements. During lunch, try to strengthen relationships with your co-workers, giving them the opportunity to talk about both personal and professional matters in an informal environment.
- Make it your agenda to say a simple "thank you" to your collaborators. This seemingly simple little trick will increase your sense of trust, pride, and camaraderie in the long run.
Part 3 of 3: Providing Safe Driving
Step 1. Know what you are talking about
If your team members are as confused as you are, they won't know what to do. As a leader, you need to dig deeper into your research, and learn more about the ongoing project to know who to assign tasks to.
- Conduct in-depth research on a topic or project so that you have the knowledge to answer the questions of each member of your team.
- Pay attention to your collaborators and try to identify the strengths and abilities of each of them. It is essential to know how to evaluate attitudes and attitudes to assign the appropriate roles and tasks.
- By learning as much as possible about the members of your team and the projects you are working on, you have the opportunity to provide your collaborators with the tools and resources they need to become more efficient.
Step 2. Have fun
Although your role requires requirements such as seriousness, professionalism and greater responsibility, there is no reason why you shouldn't have fun, obviously without exaggerating. Try to align the objectives of the worker with the objectives of the organization.
- Sometimes you may have a bad day, or any member of your team may have it. If any of them are having difficulty with a task or are feeling frustrated, it is your moment of glory. Use your great personality and humor to help him out. Ask him why he is frustrated and help him find a solution.
- Helping the team is the fun part of your job. All the planning, assignment of tasks and every reasonable effort to ensure that all projects are completed within the deadlines and according to the established standards, could put you under pressure. Enjoy the moments when you can help yourself.
Step 3. Don't underestimate your team's morale
You need to create a positive spirit, clarify goals and demonstrate how the work is feasible and possible. No one is willing to commit to reaching an objectively unattainable goal.
- If your team has low morale, try to encourage open and transparent dialogue. At the root of the group's frustration there may be crucial issues that are difficult to resolve quickly, but in any case you could come up with creative ideas to help your co-workers, within your means.
- Organize "walking meetings". Nobody likes to sit indoors to discuss the practicalities of a project. If possible, take your team for a walk outside or inside the office and let the ideas flow as you walk and talk.
- Organize games to stimulate new ideas. Or throw the ball at meetings to plan business goals.
- Set inspiring goals and reward achievements. You've probably already set specific goals for a certain project or broad career path, but you might as well come up with others. Perhaps a part of the project has been set to end by a set date. If your team pursues this goal, offer them a drink at your expense, or organize an outing in a fun place, but at the same time useful for the project. This is not always feasible, but if you work in a more stimulating work context, you could organize a trip, to give space to interpersonal relationships or to deepen research on something relevant to the work to be done.
- If you notice that a member of your team is dissatisfied or unmotivated, don't wait for the situation to deteriorate. Address the problem with the person concerned and find a solution together. This will show that you are attentive to his needs and that you care about him.
Advice
- Always be available to team members.
- Always respect the opinions of others.
- If someone makes a mistake, don't lose your temper, because to err is human. Try to help him and be kind. Your task is to try to avoid mistakes, demonstrate the appropriate course of action and remedy the mistakes.
- A good leader adopts a democratic style of establishing and maintaining friendly and emotionally meaningful relationships with group members.
- A good leader helps other members of the group to feel involved in a project.
- If possible, surround yourself with collaborators who know how to foster synergy and strengthen the bond and team spirit within the company. If not, you should help the weakest member of the team or take advantage of the spirit of camaraderie among colleagues, assigning the most capable member of the group the task of supporting a colleague with greater difficulties.
