Making the step up to leading a team is incredibly daunting.
Many people relish this challenge however not every aspiring team leader is cut out to take on the extra responsibility even if it does mean an increase in your wage.
No-one knows how they will react when it comes to leading a team, keeping every member happy and also dealing with problems when they arise.
The good news is that there are some great skills that you can develop which will put you in a position where will you feel confident about taking on a new role that involves managing a group of employees.
Keep The Dialogue Open
What separates good team leaders from the pack is the dialogue they maintain with their staff.
The approach of “I know better than you do because I am in a position of authority” is rarely effective in a work environment. Keeping an open dialogue with your team, listening to their problems and any suggestions they have for moving forward not only encourages them to be open about their work but creates an atmosphere of trust and involvement.
Listening to your team and taking on board their thoughts is an essential skill for any leader to have.
Trust Your Team
Micromanaging is a nightmare for most employees. Many team leaders think that this shows that they are taking an active interest in what that member is doing and proves that they are prepared to get into the finer details of a project.
The opposite is actually true. Allowing your team to have their own individual responsibilities and giving them the space to focus on their tasks will produce the best results.
Be on hand to help if they have a problem and to provide constructive feedback but remember that people work in their own way. Taking over their work not only creates more problems for yourself but can demonstrate that you don’t have any trust in their ability.
Believing In Yourself
This is one of the most important attributes to have as a team leader.
It sounds pretty cliché but it is on this list for a reason. If you don’t believe in your own abilities and the project that you are working on then why should your team?
Everyone makes mistakes and can have misgivings about a particular piece of work however not having any faith in yourself or the project itself will rub off on your team. There is a fine line between believing in yourself and thinking that you are prefect but showing confidence and the ability to learn even when you are managing a group of people makes for a great team leader.
You aren’t going to wake up one morning and gain all the necessary skills to be an effective team leader.
It takes work however these three great skills will stand you in good stead where not only will you lead by example but allow your team to flourish within their own roles and responsibilities as well.
