So, what only sets some leadership teams apart to be excellent while others seem to be disorganized? It’s not only about the presence of talented individuals. It’s about how those leaders combine their efforts to develop the team so that everyone can accomplish more than they could individually.
Having ordinary management skills is not enough. Leaders have to generate a setting where people are comfortable to share their opinions, be able to handle the tough situations in the group, and make sure that the ideas of everyone lead to getting better decisions. Actually, they get that leadership is not their one-person show – it’s about everyone working together.
The Four Elements Framework
- Trust is a very crucial factor for a team to be able to achieve success. When the members of a team can trust each other, they usually become more open and honest, thus resulting in good communication, better decision-making, and the new ideas generation.
- Good communication is not only about giving and receiving information. High-performing teams have one attribute that communication is not only clear but also everyone understands what is going on talked about. Each person is aware of his/her role and how it is helping the team to achieve the overall goal.
- Coordination refers to the degree to which a team can work together with each member being aware of his/her role and without the need for an explanation or command.
- If a team is well-coordinated then everyone is aware of their tasks and how these tasks are related to other teammates’ tasks. What from not doing the same things goes to everyone being on the same page for doing the tasks and to avoiding mix-ups.
The team members instead of competing and trying to be the best, senior management program concentrate on the success of the team, disclose their ideas/opinions which is leading to good things happening and the work being done efficiently.
8 Essential Skills Every Executive Must Cultivate
These statements came from leaders who deliberately developed the skills that help their teams to focus, agree, and be committed.
- Thinking Strategically- The ability to look into the future and come up with plans that consider the requirements of the whole company. Such leaders have the power to make changes that not only move the company forward but also make it safe during the unstable periods. Strategic thinking gives the leader the insight of the way each team’s work is related to the big goals of the company.
- Emotional intelligence- Research shows that it is the main factor that predicts one’s work performance, and it constitutes the largest part of one’s success skill set.
- Decision Making- The leaders are the ones who make the decisions about which steps to take fast and in a smart way, even if they are missing some information. It becomes very important especially when the situations are getting heated or becoming stressful.
- Team Building- The most successful leaders are those who spend their time and energy to develop their teams through recognizing the different strengths of team members, delegating the work efficiently and, at the same time, using these activities as the teaching and mentoring sessions. Leaders do not simply divide the work among the team members, but they help the team members understand how the work that they do is valuable to the company as well as to their fellow team members.
- Communication- It is one of the major elements in the establishment of trust and thus giving people the feeling of safety within the team. Effective communication serves the purpose of ensuring that all members of the team have a clear understanding of what is the most important and are also informed about how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
- Conflict Resolution- When leaders excel at dealing with conflicts, they, in fact, prove that such conflicts provide them with different perspectives which, in turn, strengthen rather than weaken the team.
- Getting on the Same Page- It refers to a procedure in which team members are supported to realize that not only the group but also everyone will be successful, hence, it brings about the work commitment that goes far beyond the present period.
- Being Able to Change- It is the leaders who can swiftly make the necessary changes in an unfamiliar situation. In their action, they prove that they are capable even if they are not aware of what will happen next. The leaders who demonstrate that they are adaptable, motivate their team members not only to focus on their common goals but also to change their working methods to be in line with the situation.
Creating the Conditions for Team Excellence
Good leaders understand that the process of making the team members work well with each other is not a matter of luck, rather it requires the proper establishment right from the beginning.
- These are some of the essential things to consider: Psychological safety: This is really the most important thing. When individuals think that they are allowed to express their opinions without facing any negative consequences, the team becomes more creative and can adjust to changes faster.
- Feedback that makes sense: In case you want the team to be always of a higher level, create the means through which they can give and receive feedback that will facilitate their learning.
- Working with different teams: People from different departments working together is an excellent way of getting new ideas and breaking the habit of thinking in the same way. It is necessary for people to be comfortable with expressing their views even if they differ from others. It assists in questioning the way things are done and getting rid of the habit of following the crowd.
- Saying thanks: One of the most important things is to praise the good work at every level. It is a low-cost method of getting people more engaged with their work. However, do not forget that praise should be mutual – it should come from the top down, from team to team, from manager to employee, and between coworkers.
- Goals that everyone understands: When the people are aware of what they are doing and if they are responsible, the result will be that more work is accomplished.
If you are a leader receiving management training, remember that these team issues are as important as the new skills you are learning.
Conclusion
If you’re doing a senior management program or an IIM business analytics course, this is your chance to step up. Old-school bossing around isn’t cutting it anymore. So, it’s on you to get that building great teams isn’t just about knowing your stuff. It means rethinking what being a leader really means.
