HR HIGHS
Effective leader binds team also during conflict
Managing teams is a much more complicated affair when compared to managing individuals, because it not only involves overseeing individual performance but also managing communication, conflict and achieving an excellent degree of cohesion within the team.
Cohesion, simply put -is the ability of the team to work well together.
A really good team with star players can quickly fall apart with issues of trust, ego, internal competition and accountability.
The ability to manage these issues and to forge a harmonious working relationship within groups of individuals carrying out different functions within a framework of interdependence is a fundamental ingredient in effectively functioning teams.
Team leaders have a very important role in ensuring and managing this stability and cohesion within the team.
An effective team leader can be the binding force that keeps the team together in times of stress or conflict.
What are the important traits of a successful team leader? A successful team leader has the ability to win the confidence of his team members.
He has a clear plan for achieving team goals. He treats team members fairly, using the same standards of conduct.
He is decisive, responsive and stands by his team and supports them in times of crisis.
He is a friend, mentor, guide and role model to his team members.
Teams that have strong leaders often forge long lasting relationships that continue to be strong even after members have left the team and moved on.
It is but natural that team members are caught up primarily with team relationships and how much the team is valuing them and if they perceive that the team leader does not care about their own growth and development, they may not be as committed to the team’s objectives either.
After all, an individual has to feel secure in a group environment before he starts contributing without reservations.
A true leader is genuinely committed to the improvement of the individuals in his team and the team as a whole.
There have been many instances where team leaders have willingly let go of good contributing members from their team to another team, department or company, because it was good for the individual’s career growth, despite the fact that it would be their own loss.
A great team leader always puts the interests of the team and team players before his.
Team members perceive the team leader to be supportive when the leader communicates regularly, provides timely feedback, backs team members’ actions and decisions, is appreciative and willing to accept new ideas and opinions and recognises and rewards their contributions.
A team leader who tends to micromanage, who fails to clarify roles and objectives and avoids addressing problems is perceived as a poor leader.
Team building is not a one-time effort; it is a continuous and ongoing process.
A good team leader invests time and spares no effort in building the team and then reinforces team relationships continually.
A good team leader must possess the enthusiasm, energy, inspiration and leadership abilities to keep his team motivated.
In order that a group of disparate individuals achieve the synergy that is required to function smoothly as a team, they require the direction of strong leadership.
A good leader is at the heart of the team rather than leading them from the front or pushing them from behind.
He can, if the situation demands lead from the front, or encourage his team, or he can walk alongside bringing the team together as a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts.
BINDU SRIDHAR
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