How to become a leader in the team: advice and instructions

Today we would like to address those of you whowho are planning to build their career and want to move into management. Do you think you could be an effective leader? Do you have the necessary qualities? Do you understand what it will take to lead the team to success? Do you even have an idea of how to become a leader in a team? Being an effective leader is a difficult task, and unfortunately, many people are not able to fulfill their leadership responsibilities properly. When your superiors appoint you to a management position, they expect you to be able to organize the work of your team effectively and without any difficulties. A real team leader should work in such a way as to increase the productivity of both an individual employee and the entire team as a whole. However, it is much easier to say this than to achieve what is said. Working with a group of people who must join forces to achieve a common goal can sometimes be very difficult. Most often, this is hindered by various conflicts and disagreements that constantly arise within the group, and the leader must quickly resolve all problems in order to ultimately achieve the desired result.

What you need to learn in order to become a good leader

You must understand what qualities are required of yourequired and what tasks you will need to learn to perform. So we will start with a few basic skills that will help you become an effective leader.

Ability to eliminate competition WhileHealthy competition is good for business, but excessive rivalry between teammates can be detrimental to the overall performance of the group. If team members become obsessed with outdoing each other, they could end up making serious mistakes during the race, which can cause problems for the entire team. So make sure that all members of your team work together harmoniously, and try to curb unhealthy competition at the first sign of it. Let your employees know that you value quality much more than quantity, so let them focus more on the work itself, rather than trying to do more than they can realistically do well.
Conflict Resolution Conflicts andDisagreements tend to suppress team spirit and create confrontations between teammates. Sometimes minor conflicts, if not addressed in time, can lead to such consequences that employees refuse to even work together, which significantly complicates the work of the entire team. Even if they reluctantly continue to work together - simply because they are forced to do so - there is very little chance that they will be able to work at their best. In such a situation, only a real leader will know how to deal with it. Try to make sure in advance that no serious conflicts arise between employees, and if this does happen, you will need to immediately try to cool their ardor and resolve the disagreement. You must find and eliminate the root causes of these problems so that conflicts do not arise in the future.
Proper Delegation Effective Leadermust be able to delegate work and distribute the workload correctly. To do this, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the capabilities and abilities of all your employees. He must know the strengths and weaknesses of each employee and use this knowledge to delegate work properly. If you, as a team leader, are not able to distribute the workload evenly and in accordance with the specialization of all team members, then discontent among the employees will inevitably arise. Your employees may feel that you have given them an excessive workload that is difficult to cope with, and that you are a bad manager who is not able to solve the problems facing him and, accordingly, does not cope with the responsibilities assigned to him. Such a manager actually ceases to be a leader. Remember that the members of your team should under no circumstances feel that you are shifting your workload onto their shoulders!
Communication Communication is the most important aspectin any professional environment. As a team leader, you must be open and always ready to communicate with your team members, and they must know that they can always come to you if they have any questions. If employees feel that the manager is not interested in their concerns and problems, they will lose interest in their work, which will hurt the overall cause. If you are a team leader, make sure that your teammates have the opportunity to communicate with you when they have difficulties. Listen to what they say and do not ignore their problems. Try to find a solution as soon as possible so that your employees feel valued in your eyes.
Ability to make quick decisions As a leader,You must be prepared to make quick and constructive decisions so that your employees do not lose motivation to act. If you start to hesitate and hesitate to make decisions when problems or difficulties arise, your employees will feel that you are not the person who can lead them, and therefore your mission will be doomed to failure. People will not trust you, and this will jeopardize the entire work. Therefore, always stay focused and serious, and maintain the ability to make a quick decision when necessary.
Motivating others Ability to supportMotivating the team is one of the most important tasks that a team leader must perform. Team members must be constantly charged with enthusiasm, because as soon as they lose motivation, the work on the tasks at hand will immediately lose momentum. Motivate employees by assuring them that they are doing a good job and praising them whenever there is even the slightest reason for it.
Assertiveness The leader of the team must begoal-oriented. Teamwork is a difficult task, and employees are often so focused on the immediate task that they sometimes simply lose their bearings and forget about the end goal. As a team leader, you must remember that it is your responsibility to make sure that the team continues to work towards the end goal and that everyone fully fulfills everything that is required of them. As a team leader, you cannot afford to miss the deadlines, and if this is necessary, then most of the time you must be demanding to make sure that everything is done. But keep in mind that there is a big difference between demanding and bossy. You must be strict but fair, and always remain kind and polite, even friendly. Only this approach to people will give fruitful results.
Ability to take responsibility EffectiveA leader must remember that his job is not only to manage people, but also to take responsibility if something does not go according to plan and the project suffers from some failures. A team leader must act like a ship's captain who never abandons the ship, even if it is sinking. Remember, if you try to shift the blame for failure to one of your team members, this will not only alienate your employees, but will also make the worst impression on your superiors. They expect you to act professionally, and this implies that you will be the one to take responsibility if your team fails.
Be a team player A good leader shouldAlways be a member of your team. Do not abuse your power by acting authoritarianly and using commands. This will not only result in you often acting unfairly, but also in the team spirit being completely lost. Make sure that each employee works according to the responsibilities assigned to him, and that when he does his job well, he gets what he deserves for it. This will motivate all team members, and everyone will strive to do even better.

The tasks that need to be addressed to the leader of the team

Of course, it is important to know not only how, but also what a leader needs to do. And the tasks he has to solve are the following:

Ensure that the goal is achieved It all starts withvision of that goal. You can’t build a real team without this, because people won’t work properly without a sense of purpose. Only you can create the inspiration to move toward that goal. Create an inspiring vision of the goal. Provide a vivid picture and maintain that vision for yourself and your team members. Without this, no team can achieve its goal, be it sports, business, family, military service, or even politics.

Build a star team, not a team of starsYour team will not reach its potential if the “players” are not willing to subordinate their personal goals to the goals of the entire team. Teach people to cooperate so that they understand that they work in a winning team, therefore, each of them is a winner. Create common values, orient people towards joint creativity, open communication and unity of efforts of the entire team. Promote joint problem solving and cooperation.

Develop team members to their full potentialHelp each employee develop in such a way that they can all reveal their full capabilities and effectively participate in teamwork. Provide feedback between yourself and your employees to better understand the professional problems of each of them.

Make your work interesting and attractiveCreate a pleasant and comfortable working environment. Encourage initiative and the desire for continuous improvement in your employees. Maintain a healthy atmosphere in the team. Facilitate quick problem solving for all team members.

Build a self-managing team Beloyal. Encourage team members to make decisions on their own in cases where they can solve a problem without your sanctions and instructions. If a decision needs to be made with your participation, do not give direct commands or instructions, but ask leading questions, such as: “How do you think this should be done?” Be open to ideas and rely on the opinions of employees. Give people the right to decide as much as possible.

Monitor rather than supervise Intervene only when necessary to help the team resolve issues.

Provide constructive criticism Don'tRemember to notice not only what is bad, but also what is good. It is very difficult for people to hear criticism, but if you first talk about the good, then the bad will be much easier to accept. In addition, when pointing out mistakes and shortcomings, give clear suggestions on how they can be corrected. At the same time, you should not give colleagues a ready-made solution; just share your knowledge and experience.

An effective leader in a team is someone whocan guide his team to success while keeping people motivated and focused on the end goal. Being a team leader is a huge responsibility, and not everyone is able to carry out the tasks of a leader properly. It is true that some people are born leaders, but it is also true that strong leadership qualities can be developed through hard work and selfless dedication. And if you want to become a leader, make every effort to become one! And we have indicated the main guidelines on this path for you. We recommend reading: