How to be a good team leader: 9 tips
Teamwork is one of the fundamental components both in organizations and in other less formalized contexts. Many situations require the cooperation of groups of people, and reaching the objectives set in this way is not something that can be achieved simply by joining efforts. Someone needs to coordinate and supervise the whole project, motivate, generate changes in the division of labor, etc. In other words, a leader is needed.
In this article we will see what are the skills to develop to be a good leader of groups , going beyond the individualistic perception of "everyone who dedicates himself to his own". For this, we will review some basic principles of leadership.
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How to be a good leader at work
In each group formed by people, regardless of their degree of specialization, it is necessary for someone to play the role of leader. Despite the confusion surrounding this concept, it should be noted that leadership is not based on imposing one's own interests on those of the rest, but on Adopt a strategic decision-making role that directs the group towards its goals in the best possible way.
With this in mind, let's look at several tips on how to be a good leader, although the specific skills to work also depend on the specific characteristics of the type of organization you are in and the work climate you want to promote.
1. Get used to having everything organized
Chaos is not an option. As a leader has to be attentive to many work processes at once, it is essential to know at all times where you can consult the necessary information, who is responsible for what, and what tasks have to be done during the day, week and the month. Failure in this aspect can generate dysfunctions that adversely affect the entire structure of the group or the organization.
2. Learn to communicate
The strategic nature of the leader makes it essential to establish a constant flow of communication between him and the workers he supervises. It is necessary to keep in mind what the rest knows and does not know, so that interpretation errors do not appear , and not assume that the other understands what is spoken when speaking using references.
The latter is important especially if the authority that the leader gives off causes some people not to ask when ambiguities appear in the communication.
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3. Make clear the functions of each one
It is key to have the ability to solve doubts when there are doubts about where one type of work ends and where the other begins. This way no gaps of responsibility will appear and everyone knows who receives instructions and who they supervise.
4. Go through experiences
This last aspect is key. To be a good leader you always need to have experience in the field in which you work, for a very simple reason: when you start working, it is impossible to foresee the situations that you will face, regardless of their importance. Because, you have to run into the problems to learn from them .
5. Know how to delegate
In order to carry out a good effort management, it is necessary to know when the time has come to delegate a task to another worker. For this it is necessary to make an assessment of the competences of this, and see if this work download is meaningful and helps the group in general work better.
6. Train assertiveness
A leader can not avoid situations that may displease him or another team member simply because he does not go through that experience, if doing so is necessary to positively affect the team as a whole . Therefore, we must respect the points of view of others while expressing in a very direct way what one sustains, although it contradicts the opinions of the other.
7. Know how to motivate
Each team and each person have different motivational dynamics. Knowing how to find the formula to keep everyone performing in a balance between production and well-being and personal satisfaction it is key, and for this we must know how to mobilize groups.
8. Learn from the sector
It is essential to know what the group or organization works with. For this, it is very useful to go through all the phases of the work process, or all those by which you can, to see how the workers of each department or segment of the work chain live it, if this system exists.
9. Listen to constant feedback
Within a company or a work group a very valuable amount of information is generated . It is necessary to know how to listen to it to know the needs of the rest of the team, the problems that arise, their interests, etc.
