Effective Leadership & Team Work
A great leader's personality is rare and multifaceted. He is affable and compassionate. A good leader is held in high esteem by his community. He may not have an official title of king but he rules the hearts of people. His unassuming and clear-sighted leadership attributes are appreciated by everyone; and people love to listen to him. People follow his instructions without hesitation and implement them diligently.
A leader does not differentiate between people. He gives equal importance to big or small members of the community and tries to provide solutions to their problems. One of the greatest attributes of good leadership is that it can create an environment of cooperation in the community and get even very challenging tasks done pretty easily.
It is rightly said that teamwork makes any task possible. Even in challenging situations, any task undertaken by team members with a common goal in mind will yield fruitful results. Success achieved through teamwork does not belong to an individual but to the whole team. Such success is shared by all the team members and happiness of achieving the goal grows manifold.
The important factors in teamwork are cordial relations and deep mutual trust among team members. Before any new plan is implemented it should be discussed with the team. There should be no attempt to hide any information from the team unless it affects them negatively.
People in a team usually come from different backgrounds; therefore it is expected that there will be difference of opinion between them. In such a situation it is important that the common goal of the team is kept in the forefront and not individual interests. When there is mutual respect for each other's abilities, thoughts and actions, only then chances of friction among team members are minimal. A wise leader understands the usefulness and background of each team member. This helps the leader in allocating appropriate task to each team member.
Whether the person is a leader or a team member, anybody can come under the influence of negative thoughts or develop a lack of trust towards another member. In such a situation, it is important to make the workplace environment positive and free of negativity. The steps taken could be small but should be effective. These steps could include taking the team out of the office for a team activity to provide relief from a mundane routine, playing small strategy games to re-establish trust, giving important or challenging work to two people with differing opinions, giving recognition to team members, having meals together, and so on. These strategies are meant to open the channels of communication between team members and clear the air of mistrust. These activities also bring out creativity and a fresh perspective. It is also important to hold team meetings regularly to prevent an environment of mistrust from forming.
A leader's job is to ensure smooth working of the team and distribute work according to the skillset of each team member. Seemingly small things like giving a lot of work to one team member or not giving clear instructions for executing a task can hinder the task from getting executed successfully.
There is an advantage to tackling challenges as a team. When many people work on finding a solution, many good solutions are proposed by the team members instead of just one. Then, the best solution can be chosen and implemented. When many people are working cooperatively towards finding a solution to a problem, it creates a positive energy in the workplace.
Working on complicated or challenging tasks becomes easy by working in a team. There is a substantial reduction in the number of errors. The task of each team member is connected and dependent on the task of another team member. This increases effectiveness in finding errors as each team member checks the work of another before starting their own task. This way, a team gives better results for any organization and hones the skills of all the team members.
Team work brings efficiency when there is proper coordination between a skilled leader and team members. In this process, both leader and team members learn new skills and gain knowledge. Whether a task is successful or not, it definitely increases the experience of everyone working on it. People learn the importance of communication, sharpen their decision-making skills, and learn the process of executing a plan. Teams are also a great place to showcase our knowledge and talents and give us a chance to hone our skills.
The principles of teamwork are applicable not just to a group of people but to every individual. If we imbibe these principles in our life — like making our personality affable, cooperating with others — then we can develop ourselves as accomplished leaders. If we can give our life a right direction then we can provide inspiration to others in need and become better persons in the process.
"A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind." — Nelson Mandela