Show the wayBy empowering your team members, you empower yourself.
Each one is born with some leadership qualities. However, 90% of it is acquired. And one needs to strive to achieve those qualities. Grooming comes where there is willingness, desire, and a "can-do" attitude. If there is consistent endeavor armed with honesty, sincerity, and above all, integrity, then there is a good leader in the making.
A leader is a pillar of an organization. The leader makes the foundation, but if the foundation is weak, the people get disoriented, and the structure goes haywire. A leader is an institution by himself and sets the tone for an organization. Culture always goes topdown in any family, organization or a country, and never bottom-up.
A leader must walk his talk; it is philosophy put into action that gives direction and destination. A leader is an agent of change who makes a difference. A leader without power is no leader; but the big question is from where does a leader get power? He gets power from three Ps of power:
1. Position Power: Some people get power from position and title, but if you take away the title, the power goes away. Position and titles give authority, and authority gives power; but, only good behavior gives respect.
2. Personality Power: There are charismatic personalities like film stars. Personality opens the door; character keeps it open.
3. Principle Power: Power that is based on character which is lasting. Some of the greatest leaders of the world were short, tall, fat or bald, but they had one thing common that was character. If you look at life of Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Gandhi, they all had character.
A leader also needs to take three kinds of decision, which is called three Cs of decision-making.
1. Decision of Command: There is nobody to help, and a leader has to take the decisions alone. This is where conviction plays a very important role. There is a big difference between preferences and convictions in life. Preferences are negotiable, convictions are not. Under pressure, preferences become weak and convictions always become stronger.
2. Decision of Consultation: A leader creates his team, consults them, and then decides.
3. Decision of Consensus: History reflects, great leaders have not always had consensus, but they create consensus. That is where the power of conviction and communication playa role.
Leadership is all about creating conditions under which team members can perform effectively towards a common goal and actualise their potential.
Team members need feedback on a regular basis, not just during the annual appraisals. They need to be made aware of their performance levels and be given an opportunity to discuss their needs for growth and development. Recognition of efforts is essential for lifting the executives' spirits and strengthening their sense of commitment.
Set high standards for yourself and your team will follow suit.
Open communication channelsPoor communication skills can be the kiss of death for a team leader.
If you are not precise and clear about what you expect from your team members, you will not get the crisp action and results you want.
Simple information -- like who is in charge of the project, what are the team members' primary and secondary responsibilities, what is the deadline, what is the team's cumulative target, what is each individual's contribution towards achieving the team's objectives, in which direction is the team headed, on which parameters is the quality of performance going to be assessed -- goes a long way in clarifying roles and expectations.
Make sure your team knows that you are approachable and you consider them worthy of your time.
Every member of the team has strengths required to make the team successful. So, each should be treated with the same respect.
Anticipate problemsAn effective rule for managing issues is: When you hear it, write about it. This ensures that all related details are recorded and can be subsequently reviewed. Each issue can then be prioritised and attended to accordingly.
'An important task of a manager is to reduce his people's excuses for failure.'
Once systems and processes are set, the team members have no option but to align themselves accordingly.
They will respect you for your farsightedness and efficiency in the long run though they may crib initially at the changes you have brought about, especially if they are not used to maintaining records.
Explain to them the importance of doing things right at the first go.
Be helpful, not forcefulLeadership as of today is all about guiding -- not ruling.
You need to gauge your team members accurately. It is only by understanding their individual work preferences, core competencies, motivation levels, areas of improvement and strengths that you will be in a position to assign them tasks accordingly.
The Boss needs to be approachable when the situation so demands. If your team member has goofed up in the process of learning the ropes, help him save face.
If one of your team members is finding it difficult to meet his deadline, get a colleague, who is relatively free, to chip in. Two brains are better than one.
Your team members will definitely appreciate your sense of solidarity and respect you more for saving the day for them.
Trust is the keyNo relationship is long-lasting or worthwhile if trust is missing.
It is the moral responsibility of the team leader to shield his team from any problems that can occur in the distant future as well as any management decisions that can harm his team in any way. He needs to exhibit trust-building behaviour.
He needs to trust his team members before they trust him. It works both ways.
As the team leader is the connection between the team and the higher management, he needs to work in tandem with both parties to obtain a full commitment from the management in support of the team's programme.
It is his responsibility to ensure his team members are making maximum use of the resources and the support provided. He needs to earn the trust of both parties to meet his objectives.
Betrayal of trust leads to an inevitable downfall.
Have faith in your team members to achieve miracles. Provide them with opportunities, equip them with relevant training and support and they will repay your faith.
Listen to yourself when you speak"Observe yourself talking with colleagues and friends. In your conversation, do you hear yourself blaming others for things that aren't going exactly as you wish? If you can sense your blaming patterns, you can stop them,"
