How does one become a great leader?

Chris Hadfield discovered while he was in charge of the International Space Station that it is not necessary to pursue personal glory in order to appear good.

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Rather, he discovered that good leadership is about empowering others around you, trusting them, and eventually allowing them to share their knowledge so that the team might become more than the sum of its parts.

To put it another way, developing a culture of productive cooperation and successful leadership go hand in hand.

The value of leadership and teamwork

Why are leadership and teamwork crucial? When combined, they give your team clarity and have a direct effect on your company’s vision.

What do those results actually look like in real life, though? More significantly, what steps can you take each day to support the success of your team?

The best qualities of a successful leader are the focus of today’s discussion, which is followed by ten suggestions for improving teamwork and cohesion.

Quality traits of an effective leader

Establishing rapport and trust—being the type of leader that teams want to follow—is the first step in creating a collaborative atmosphere. Regardless of their personality or style, the most effective leaders have the following traits in common.

Excellent communicator

People are at the heart of being a leader. Yes, you have to produce goods and KPIs, but you lead people, not KPIs.

In light of this, good communication abilities are arguably the most valuable quality for a leader. You will be communicating on a daily basis to encourage, educate, correct, and do a hundred other things.

Consider spending money on exercises or training that will help you become more confident if you’re a positional leader (or leading from a non-leadership capacity) who lacks confidence in this area.

EQ, or emotional intelligence

Speaking about dealing with people, leaders need to be able to read and respond to others’ emotions, especially those conveyed by nonverbal cues and context. Beyond just recognizing emotions in others, great leaders possess the soft skills necessary to guide others through intense emotional reactions and motivate groups and individuals to achieve their goals.

When guiding a team through the five phases of team growth, emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a critical talent for anybody who interacts with others, but it’s especially important for leaders. These abilities will be put to use throughout, but particularly during the “storming” phase.

Analytical

successful analytical abilities are also frequently exhibited by successful leaders. An analytical leader can assess a situation, think through potential routes and probable results, and choose the most successful course of action. Any function may benefit from this skill set, and the more authority one has, the more valuable it becomes.

Ten strategies for leaders to assist with team management

In addition to these qualities of successful leaders, each leader may take concrete actions to improve team performance and foster more collaboration. Over the course of the following week, think about putting one or more of these ten suggestions into practice.

1) Encourage candid and open dialogue

Establish a culture that values candor and openness in all facets of communication. Invite individuals to express their opinions and discuss the challenges they face. Request feedback and pay attention to it. Don’t be scared to ask your own inquiries. (In fact, you should include these five into your daily routine.) Above all, make sure your team members can easily get to your door in case they need to.

2) Establish cooperative objectives

Goals should be well-defined and specified at the beginning. It may take a bit more effort and preparation to do this right from the beginning, but the benefits are significant. For optimal results:

The team must support the objectives, thus they should be planned together.

Everyone involved must agree on what success looks like, so start by outlining specific KPIs.

Throughout the process, leaders must recognize and assist the team (so check in regularly and give assistance when required).

3) Honor their accomplishments

Well done, group! Don’t forget to give credit for successful teamwork, concepts, or accomplishments. Promote your team’s accomplishments to the company’s leadership and share them with the rest of the organization. For significant victories, you may even plan a lunch or supper where all team members can celebrate the accomplishment. Do it together, whichever you decide to commemorate the occasion.

4) Let group members handle problem-solving

Encourage team members to come up with ideas and develop their own thoughts rather than forcing them. You can empower your team to think creatively, build their confidence, and cultivate a feeling of ownership by providing them with space—physical, symbolic, or even virtual via Teamwork Spaces—to come up with the best solution and share their ideas.

5) Offer sufficient training and resources

A strong leader does more than simply assist their team members in carrying out their daily tasks. Excellent leaders assist them in finding opportunities to grow professionally and enhance their skill set. Assist your team by providing them with the tools they require to succeed and advance.

6) Take responsibility for your actions.

Things won’t always go as planned when you are a leader. You may even make some poor decisions. (Remember, you’re just a person.) When things go wrong, such as when a project veers off course, the scope abruptly shifts, or the unexpected occurs, you must confront the situation head-on. Assume accountability and collaborate with your team to resolve the problems and return to your goals.

7) Pay attention to the wider picture.

You must find a balance as a leader between focusing on the minutiae and looking at the wider picture. To put it another way, you need to make sure that your team is doing the daily duties without losing sight of the overall objectives you are pursuing and the ways in which the team is contributing to them.

8) Exhibit empathy

Emotional intelligence “is the most important instrument in a leader’s toolbox,” according to inspiring leadership expert Simon Sinek. Asking a team member whether everything is alright shows that you are interested in them and fosters connections.

9) Establish solid one-on-one connections

One of the best ways for a team leader to establish relationships is through one-on-one sessions. Additionally, they provide each team member the opportunity to present their case for personal growth or to bring up obstacles that are preventing them from doing better. Pay attention to what your teammates have to say and try your best to help them.

10) Foster a culture of respect

Being involved with the team and cooperating with them is only one of the numerous ways that great leaders show their regard for their teammates. Great leaders don’t hesitate to take chances or own up to their mistakes. They are aware that empathy, compassion, and trust are the foundations of respect.