How To Become An Effective Leader for Your Team
Many books have been written on leadership and what the process looks like when handled correctly. But one of the keys to the successful leader begins with a leader understanding the methodology of leadership. There are differences relative to the leadership practice to include the transformational, situational, value based, and authentic leadership methodologies. Leadership within the team environment also has its challenges as the team environment can cause the leader to be placed under intense pressure sometimes having to push the team in order to get the job done. Add to this the stress factor and the leader has the potential to become too assertive causing even more stress on the team (Toegel, 2012).
Whether the industry is project/program team management, engineering team management, or manufacturing team management there has to be an understanding of the techniques needed to make a leader effective in the team environment. This paper will discuss several factors that enable an effective team leader to include effective communication, team motivation, team building, risk taking, and vision and goal setting.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is monumental when managing a team as the communication exchange is not completely conditional upon words but also the personal aspect of communication which includes behavior and context. If working with a team where all team members are working together in one location, the leader must know how to communicate with the team collectively as well as individually. From the professional standpoint, face to face contact can be most effective because of the ability to see body movement, eye contact, and response. If within the conversation something is said that is not understood, the leader can stop; clarify what has been said thereby ensuring that no miscommunication has taken place.
When working with a virtual team which can be the case when working in project/program management, not only must communication be clear but there also has to be consideration for assumptions relative to critical elements which must be completely understood in order to develop a high performing team. The global virtual project team leader must understand how to use what is classified as the mix method approach which is the combination of verbal, face to face and written communication (Morgan & Paucar-caceres, 2014). The leader must realize and understand that effective communication simplifies relationship building which in turn enables trust and loyalty. Any leader that is able to communicate in this manner will establish a solid project team that can go the distance to ensure the success of the project.
The leader must also understand the dynamics of the team being managed to ensure the correct choice of communication method. There are times when written communication is best as a quick email or IM can get needed information to the team quickly and easily. Oral communication is best when in meetings to not only convey information but to also discuss ideas and concerns. Face to face communication is most effective especially when team members have individual concerns that need to be discussed that may or not be relative to the project. Online communication to include emails is important especially when giving information that may be useful throughout the project with team members in different locations. The team leader that understands this process will create an effective team no matter the industry or the location.
Team Motivation
A good leader must understand how to keep the team motivated. Money is definitely a key motivator for almost any employee; however, the effective leader of a team must understand other team motivators that are also effective. It has been found through research that there is a theoretical framework that can be used to predict individual differences in motivation even though the process is somewhat new (Hinrichs, 2011). The leader must also be internally motivated thereby enabling the engagement of the team members. What are some ways for the team leader to motivate the team? The team leader must understand how to energize the team by brining passion and positive energy to the workplace on a daily basis. This means talking with the team in an upbeat manner even when the project may be encountering problems. The leader should also understand that team members need to take some time off to spend with family and to simply relax. This is a process that will allow the team to bring creativeness to the table during the entire project. The leader must always act with integrity as this is the best way to lead. Acting with integrity at all times allows the team to see that you as leader believe in ethics and possess character. This will go a long way in the creation of a solid team that will work hard to ensure that every project/program is successful. The leader also needs to be a good listener (Zwilling, 2012). When team members know that the leader listens attentively to what they have to say, they will speak more and share information while facilitating a happy work environment.
Team Building
An organization not only needs good leaders but also needs good leaders who understand how to build effective teams. The leader must know the steps to take in order to build teams that have excellent performance records and who understand the policies and mission statement of the organization. Team building requires a leader who understands people, how to motivate those people, and also understands the team member’s strengths and weaknesses. Team building is basically an art and a science requiring a leader who understands performance from every level of business. There are qualities that an effective team leader must have in order to be an effective team builder.
A leader good at building teams understands how to perform diagnostic functions to include monitoring team performance which can then be used for comparison thereby discovering what needs to be done to increase performance. Knowledge of forecasting is also important because the team builder must know how to observe the environment conditions as those conditions can affect team performance positively or negatively (Bachiochi, Rogelberg, & O'Connor, 2000). But part of the success of team building is the team leader. Successful team building requires an understanding of the team background and expertise, task oriented skills, communication skills, and personal characteristics and traits. The leader must ensure that the team building process is successful as the team leader is accountable and responsible for the team and must answer to senior management relative to obtaining the goals that have been set by the organization for the team. Failure in this process is not only a negative for the team but also for the leader who could very well be penalized if the team should fail to meet planned objectives. Successful team building enables the success of the leader, the team, and the organization.
Risk Taking
Part of the responsibility of leadership involves risk taking. But in taking risk the leader must have knowledge relative to increased awareness, expanded knowledge, and broadened excitement. Let us examine how each factor enables the success of the leader as a risk taker.
Awareness is heightened by risk taking causes the leader to become completely aware of the issue or problem at hand. The leader has to exercise being open minded thereby using awareness with new perceptions allowing for massive resources for future use (Bethel, 2000). It is also important to realize that knowledge is gained when risks are taken. If the risk taken is successful, the team and the leader gain knowledge that can be used for future successes; however if the risk was a failure, knowledge is gained concerning what did not work avoiding a reoccurrence of the same practice. In all actuality, this is how a successful leader really becomes successful.
Broadened excitement can be seen as a thrill to some; however, when in the midst of the risk, there is a realization that failure could be costly. Each business process especially when viewing project/program management has a certain amount of risk that is captured within the risk management plan. It is very important to note that strong teams and systems can make all the difference when the risk could a costly one. This is the place where the skilled leader can access the advantages and disadvantages relative to the specified risk. It is at this time that leadership can own the project by accepting the blame if things go wrong or sharing the success should the risk be a success. This is a process that allows the organization and leadership to exercise steadfast focus. This is true leadership at its best.
Vision and Goal Setting
Leadership responsibility also encompasses certain assumptions relative to the fulfillment of the vision and goal setting that has been set by the organization. Business is affected by many processes in today’s market place. Things to include outsourcing, in-sourcing, virtual teams, and other business complexities can sometimes cause leaders to feel powerless when it comes to the job of leading. There are assumptions that the leader must understand relative to the vision and goal setting that has been set by the organization. Leadership must understand diversity and the fact that all team members share in the responsibility for ensuring unification and accountability
(Thomas, 2016).
Vision and goal setting can only be accomplished by effective teamwork. A team must work together thereby creating a positive relationship that can stand the test of time when working together to bring to pass the vision and goal that has been set by the organization. There are processes that can hinder the vision and the goal and the leader must have an understanding of what to do should any of these problems arise. Problems that can hinder the vision and goal setting of an organization include a lack of vision, lack of strategic plan, and lack of an understanding of conflict management (Lotich, 2012).
One sure way to hinder vision and goal setting is for the leader and the employees to not understand the organizational vision. Everyone must understand the vision and how to move forward with that vision. A true leader must understand the vision, how to share that vision positively with the employees, and how to move toward that vision step by step.
The purpose of a strategic plan is to reveal the direction that the organization is headed via a map. The strategic plan keeps the vision fresh and new thereby keeping leadership and team members motivated. The accomplishing of organizational goals takes time with the need for an update should change be needed as the organization moves forward with the plan.
The team leader must understand the importance of conflict management which can be viewed as a struggle or people having differences of opinion thereby creating conflict. There are times when a conflict may be easily resolved but there are also times when the conflict escalates causing team members to lose focus of what is really important. It is at these times that the team leader may need to assist the team members in finding a compromise so that focus can be returned to the vision and goal setting that is crucial to the organization.
Conclusion
Being an effective leader requires an understanding of several processes to include effective communication, team motivation, team building, risk taking, and an understanding of vision and goal setting. Each process plays a major role in the success of leadership and successful team building. Becoming an effective leader requires training as well as the gaining of experience from doing the job. Leadership is an awesome responsibility that re quires understanding and the ability to keep learning.
References
Bachiochi, P. D., Rogelberg, S. G., O'Connor, M.,S., & Elder, A. E. (2000). The Qualities Of An Effective Team Leader. Organization Development Journal, 18(1), 11-27. Retrieved from https://login.ctu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ctu.idm.oclc.org/docview/197967776?accountid=26967
Bethel, S. (2000). Messages from the Masters - A Leader is a Risk Taker. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://finsecurity.com/finsecurity/quotes/mm0110.html
Hinrichs, A. T. (2011). Motivation to lead: Examining its antecedents and consequences in a team context (Order No. 3486101). Available from ABI/INFORM Complete. (909566109). Retrieved from https://login.ctu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ctu.idm.oclc.org/docview/909566109?accountid=26967
Lotich, P. (2012, October 11). 9 Things That Hinder Business Growth. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.ceo-oakville.com/articles/2012/10/11/
Morgan, L., Paucar-caceres, A., & Wright, G. (2014). Leading effective global virtual teams: The consequences of methods of communication. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 27(6), 607-624. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11213-014-9315-2
Thomas, E. (2016). Team Building and Goal Setting. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from https://www.masc.sc/SiteCollectionDocuments/MEO_TeamBuildingHandouts.pdf
Toegel, G., & Barsoux, J. (2012). How to become a better leader. MIT Sloan Management Review, 53(3), 51-60. Retrieved from https://login.ctu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ctu.idm.oclc.org/docview/963962182?accountid=26967
Zwilling, M. (2012, January 10). 8 Ways Leaders Can Motivated Employees Beyond Money. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2012/01/10/8-ways-leaders-can-motivate-employees-beyond-money/#60b6fe8074dd
