7 Steps of Becoming a Perfect Leader
With the benefits of leadership comes the responsibility for work results and the microclimate within the team. Leadership is the art of effective communication, guiding the efforts of the team in one productive direction. A successful leader has the ability to listen and hear, as well as notice important details.
Becoming a strong and effective team leader is an ongoing journey of professional and personal development. You will be reflecting regularly, tuning into the workplace and the diverse experiences within it. There are a many paths and steps towards magical management; this article shares the Collabio team’s favourite leadership steps.
1. Improve Industry Knowledge
As a leader, you need to show your expertise and sometimes even coach your team members. Leading through example is the best way to motivate people.
Also, sharing knowledge improves the professionalism of the whole team. The point is not to criticise employees but to offer constructive feedback. If someone does the work wrong, don’t say it’s a fail but note what you would do differently and list the reasons for that. Share useful materials with your team and tell them what exactly you liked in lectures or articles.
2. Work on the Same Level
A leader is a person who is with their team, not above them. A certain level of subordination should be present, but it should be based on mutual respect and concern for the result.
In friendly teams, the leader supports everyone and, from the very beginning, emphasises equality within the team. The leader seeks to work on the same level as everyone, valuing the equal importance of each member’s contribution.
3. Follow Work Ethic and Create a Positive Environment
When the work is based on the fear of fines and reprimands from the manager, one can only dream of a good relationship and moreover, strong motivation. Show that you care about the welfare of the team, offer mutual assistance, share feedback. Only then will people feel valued and involved.
Even in situations when negative emotions break out, think twice before you speak. Rephrase negative phrases into non-judgmental ones. Discuss the case, not people and their character traits.
4. Always Communicate Goals and Expectations
Without clear goals, the team will do something just for the sake of doing something. Poor results will be the responsibility of the manager who didn’t communicate all the expectations from the start. A concise plan supports successful leadership — harnessing focus and productivity of the collective team, as well as providing the board of directors with a clear picture of progress.
At least once a week, check the working direction of the team. Is everything clear to colleagues? Are they experiencing any issues or needing assistance? Constant exchange of feedback will help you to reach your goals faster, without the need for repair later.
5. Master Conflict Resolution Skills
Even in the most friendly team, there may be quarrels.No one is fully immune from disputes and a bad mood. The task of the leader is to resolve the conflict in such a way that all parties are satisfied, relationships remain positive and the ultimate compromise serves the aims and goal of the work.
Colleagues should be comfortable to turn to leaders for advice on how to deal with a controversial situation. You as a leader need a wide lens, an awareness of the perspectives throughout the team. Keeping an eye on things from above helps to steer resolution with empathy and inclusivity. Your mediation should help bring people together, building awareness of other viewpoints and reasons, steering us all away from criticism.
6. Foster Innovation within Your Team
Innovation can be different. Here we want to emphasise the importance of accepting the creative ideas of colleagues. Even if the idea does not quite fit but the person tried very hard, praise them and postpone it until the time when it becomes relevant. Any initiative should be welcomed because colleagues can bring value to the product or service that you are developing.
Also, innovation is the technology that we use. If there is a new application in which you can work more efficiently, it makes sense to agree with the company to purchase such technological assistants. For example, office work goes much faster with Collabio, which is an all-in-one productivity tool for teams. ;)
7. Constantly Grow Your Leadership Skills
Practice self-awareness and watch what mistakes you make. The sooner you notice a problem, the sooner it can be fixed. In general, there is no limit to perfection, so learn from the examples of more experienced managers, read books, visit lectures or find a mentor for training.
In any case, remember that in every situation you need to maintain good relationships with the team and keep work goals in mind. With clear communication and direction, you are certain to succeed!
Also, keep in mind that modern technologies can come to the rescue in any undertaking. For example, the Collabio application has many templates for organising the work of teams and functionality for collaborating on documents. Try it right now — it might just be your best assistant towards success!
