Brandon W - Leading Effective Teams

Being an effective team leader is an important value in no matter what job or area you may go into. Almost every activity you may participate in is team based. Whether you are the team leader or part of the team, knowing these tips will help you fully understand what it is to be a team leader and part of a team.

• Be a teacher. Nothing will frustrate your team member more than when you just lean over them and show them how to do something they may be having a problem with. "Here, let me show you..." If you're the team leader and you are using this phrase, you are not being an effective team leader. The team isn't learning anything, you're doing it yourself and not actually teaching the team, which will be beneficial now and in the future. The team wants to feel like they've accomplished and possibly learned something, not just showed how to do it.
• Be positive. As a team leader you can not just shoot negative criticism all over the team. You have to share the bad AND the good. Try to be more positive. Something might not be right, but the team will work better together and more effectively. Your team will probably get discouraged and not want to work if all you do as leader is point out all the negatives.
• Be involved, but not too involved. If you are so involved in a project with another team member, it is your job as leader to give that person space and trust in their abilities. You don't want to put so much input into a project that the member starts to feel like you don't trust them or they shouldn't be doing the project.

Of course these are only a few examples of what an effective team leader is made of. The list would go on and on. These are just a few basics tips that are easy to follow, but will go a long way in making you be the most effective team leader you can be.