MUR
“Leadership is an action, not a position.”
– Donald McGannon
Leaders often define the success of their teams. This is because their ability to inspire others is what makes a difference for the team members. Thus, if the leadership is ineffective, the team will falter under pressure, especially in an unpredictable VUCA world. Similarly, an effective leader can help their teams sail through the roughest of tides, with ease.
This fact becomes even more evident in case of high performance teams. Such individuals are driven and extremely passionate. Thus, they need to be constantly challenged and their potential needs to be explored, efficiently. The role of a leader in this case is not to lead from the front, but rather from within.
Presenting 4 crucial leadership insights for managing high performance teams –
Know Thy Team
Great leaders make a point of learning about their teams inside out. However, in the case of exceptionally large organisations, it might become a Herculean task to manage. But, it is still a recommended practice to learn about your immediate team members. Take efforts to learn about their strengths and weakness – focus on skills that are highly developed and also, on areas that can be improved. Make an effort to understand what they find meaningful and what are some things at work that they find disappointing.
It is important that, as a leader, you tap into each team member’s talents & gifts in the best possible way. Psychometric tools can prove useful in facilitating the same.
Cultivate Openness
A leader’s role is to empower their team. This requires them to not just lead by example but also play the role of an impactful coach. It is also important to be open to asking how they can improve. Regular feed-forward sessions will help you understand the needs of your team better, and also enable personal growth.
Acknowledge Milestones
It goes without saying that being appreciated helps boost productivity and also uplifts the mods, for everyone. Regular heartfelt acknowledgement will not only inspire your team members to give their best, but also help you feel better. Happiness, they say, is contagious. Major milestones should be celebrated with exuberance – even in a virtual context.
What’s important, is to express your pride and happiness about their success – it will foster a culture of inclusivity and a sense of belongingness among the team members.
Build Accountability
To allow for effective execution, the team members need to understand their individual goals, as well as the overall vision. This will allow for effortless collaboration, along with individual growth. Thus as a leader, it is your responsibility to share not just the big picture, but help each member understand their roles and responsibilities with equal clarity. Attach timelines to each of the milestones and work with the team members to identify distractions that can derail the team. Timely follow-ups on these pre-set deadlines will boost individual accountability.
In summary, applying these leadership consistently will be useful to your team. Keep adding new insights to your leadership skills repertoire by being open to learning. Furthermore, real time application of these skills will allow both you and your organisation to scale up.
Join the conversation by sharing similar leadership insights.
