Qualities of A Good Team Leader
The word leadership or leader conjures images of success; take a look around the world and you will see a plethora of leaders who inspired and stimulated success in different facets of life. Not only were they successful, but they also found a way out of challenging situations to inspire others. However, not all leaders are good and successful; while some leaders handle conflicts, misunderstandings, and challenges well, others bulge and scathe in the midst of challenges. Leadership, in general, comes with ups and downs; strong leaders are known to possess certain leadership skills and qualities that enable them to stimulate efficiency and positivity in their team. This invariably leads to the attainment and achievement of targeted organizational and personal goals. Therefore, this article will discuss extensively, specific qualities needed to be a good team leader.
Importance of Leadership Skills/Qualities
The following are some of the importance of good leadership skills;
- Good leadership skills lead to the cultivation of stronger team bonds in the organization.
- Also, it enhances productivity in the organization, company, or firm.
- In addition, good leadership skills create a positive and conducive working environment in the company.
Who is a team leader?
A team leader can be defined as a person who guides, instructs, directs, and lead a particular or selected group of individuals or a team to achieve a key or specified goal(s), vision, stated objectives, or results. Team leaders, who report directly to the manager or executive officer, are responsible for monitoring and analyzing strives and achievements made by the team, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Also, team leaders are tasked with ensuring the success of the team and are required to motivate and stimulate team members to apply their skills, knowledge, expertise, and experience in a goal-oriented manner.
Qualities Of A Good Team Leader
The qualities of a good team leader include the following;
- Honesty and Integrity
- Decisiveness
- Communication
- Innovation
- Motivation
- Relationship building
- Responsibility
- Negotiation Skills
- Willing to Delegate
- Strong organization skills
- Respectful to others
Honesty and Integrity; All the great leaders from time memorial, earned and gained the respect and acceptability of their teams and employees through honesty, integrity, and being forthright. Employees, in general, appreciate being told the truth all the time, hence, they respect team leaders who are always honest with them in every situation. Team leaders, who show integrity by doing what they say they will do, easily earn the trust of their team members. Therefore, to lead a successful and productive team, the leader must in all circumstances, treat his/her team members or employees, in the same manner, he/she would like to be treated. This will create an ambient working environment for all and sundry.
Decisiveness; Leadership involves making critical and crucial decisions in a limited time sometimes. A good team leader must thus, be decisive in that regard. Good team leaders don’t rely on guesswork or uncertainty; instead, they take the bull by the horns, weigh and understand their options and make an informed decision for the growth of the team and organization as a whole. They are always confident in their choices and decisions and communicate precisely to the team their reasons for making such choices.
Communication; Effective communication is an essential component of leadership. A good team leader must be an expert in oral/verbal and written communication, this is to make sure that organizational expectations and targets are adequately relayed to employees and team members in an understandable manner. Strong leaders should be able to precisely, clearly, and concisely disseminate the aims, visions, goals, tasks, and all organizational needs to employees. However, communicating effectively doesn’t involve passing information alone; it also entails being a good listener amongst others. Good team leaders must be able to listen attentively, speak clearly, be conscious of their tone and understand body language.
Innovation; The business and work environment is often enshrined with difficulties and challenges, some of which come unexpectedly. Therefore, leaders must be prepared to come up with solutions through innovation and creativity. A good team leader must possess excellent innovative skills to be able to overcome and mitigate the inevitable obstacles associated with business and professional endeavors. Also, good team leaders should be able to employ unconventional and new approaches and perspectives, in solving inherent or unexpected problems.
Motivation; Motivation through words of encouragement, and/or rewards for excellence is essential for the continuous and sustainable growth of an organization. Good team leaders should stimulate productivity and induce passion for the job among employees by motivating them. Motivation should also include enrolling employees in mentorship programs, acknowledging accomplishments, and/or engaging team members with challenging and rewarding work.
Relationship Building; Good team leaders encourage collaborations, and facilitate healthy working relationships and cooperation among employees and team members, by bringing them closer together and creating a strong team bond. Such actions enhance excellent teamwork within the team and organization at large. Productivity in organization and business is enhanced when team members work in unity and trust each other.
Responsibility; Leaders who take responsibility for every action and activity have been successful. Employees tend to respect leaders that put themselves in the firing line and take responsibility for the successes or failures/missteps of the team. A good team leader always acknowledges mistakes made, doesn’t blame others, and is always accountable and ready to come up with solutions for improvement.
Negotiation skills; A good team leader should be a good negotiator; these negotiating skills are essential for achieving targeted goals and resolving conflicts in the workplace. Team leaders with excellent and effective negotiation skills streamline and enhance the decision-making and problem-solving processes, for the good of the organization and everyone involved.
Willing to Delegate; Successful and effective leadership entails delegation of duties to team members. Good team leaders make team members feel valued and not obsolete. Also, good team leaders delegate certain tasks to effervescent and hardworking team members; this, in turn, allows the leaders to focus on enhancing productivity in the workplace.
Strong organization skills; Another essential quality of a good team leader is possessing excellent, exceptional, and unique organizational skills. These skills enable team leaders to draft objectives, goals, and strategies for effectiveness. Team leaders who possess these skills always act promptly; putting things in order and subsequently, stimulating team members to meet targeted goals.
Respectful to others; A good team leader treats his/her team members with respect. A respectful team leader empowers team members by encouraging them to bring up ideas about decisions that affect them. This makes team members know that their opinions and input are valued and respected by the leader and the organization at large.