Tips for Being a Good Team Leader

'Leadership' sounds nice, doesn't it? It evokes associations like having authority, giving instructions to people, managing things, and being someone whose words are listened to. But it's not that easy; to be a technically successful and genuinely liked and respected team leader, one needs to possess many qualities, for example. The emergence of a good team and successful teamwork largely depends on the personality, attitude, and behaviors of the team manager.

Below you can find some tips related to this topic: Employees in your group want to be appreciated, just like you did before you reached the team leader position. Give team members the opportunity to showcase themselves, assign responsibilities, take pride in their successes, and ensure they understand this. Listen to the ideas of your teammates. Be open to new ideas, and do not reject them without consideration. Don't just sit back and watch events unfold. Continuously inform the team about where to go and how to get there. You need to create and maintain a team spirit; otherwise, you cannot succeed. You must speak; if you don't talk, no one will, and the lack of communication will become a habit. A good team leader knows that covering up problems does not eliminate them, is not afraid to talk about difficult issues, and finds ways to manage tough dialogues. It is easy but wrong to place the responsibility for mistakes and problems in the group on the employees. Take responsibility for these; a good manager does what is right, not what is easy.

When you need to warn an employee, do not do it in front of others. If employees cannot produce work on their own and need to be checked individually through micro-management, there may be a fault on your part as well. When selecting personnel for the team, try to choose individuals who will not require you to chase after them after assigning the job, or encourage team members to be this way. Have some tolerance for mistakes; at least give the reaction that the mistake deserves; not more. Everyone can make mistakes; what matters is to learn from the mistake made and not to repeat it. Reflect this mindset to the group members as well. Be optimistic; even in the most challenging situations, control your anxiety. Your pessimism and hopelessness will negatively affect the morale of the team. Do not allow any team member to speak behind a teammate's back. Warn someone who tries this once, and do not forgive them the second time.

A good team leader should be concerned about their employees and show it to them. For example, you should know the names of the spouses and children of group members and keep track of important events in their lives. Make promises regarding working conditions and job results, and keep the promises you make. Carefully prepare work plans, especially those that will bind the employees working with you. Be consistent in this regard; a manager who frequently changes ideas and plans frightens employees and hinders them from producing successful work. When a serious change in the plan is necessary, discuss it openly with team members. As a team leader, your time is valuable, of course, but do not let your employees feel this too much. Adhere to meeting times, and inform in advance if you cannot make it. Otherwise, you will have made your employees feel like people whose time is not valuable, which will decrease their motivation.