7 traits of effective team leaders

Do you have what it takes to be a build and lead an effective team? If you’re looking toward a leadership role, you’ll need to brush up on your team-management skills. Here are a few traits of good leaders to adopt.

1) Acknowledging and giving due credit

It is important to give credit where it is due and show appreciation for efforts of team members. By showing appreciation for team members’ contributions, you will also encourage a positive environment and culture where team members are more appreciative of each others’ efforts. Also, by recognising contributions, members will be more willing to go that extra mile when needed.

2) Listening / communicating

An effective team functions well when the communication flows both ways. As important as it is for you to communicate goals, targets and initiatives clearly and accurately to your team, it is equally important for feedback to flow freely within the team as well as upwards back to you. As a leader, effectively listening can help you to better understand any issues that team members face and also lead to better communication as employees are more open to surfacing any potential problems. This minimises conflicts and misunderstandings between team members.

3) Commitment

A leader that displays commitment to a project or team is more likely to gain the trust of their team members. No one likes to work for a non-committed leader and in a non-committed team. The commitment shown from you as a leader will help foster team spirit that will differentiate an outstanding team from a mediocre one. A leader’s tenacity and commitment could well be the difference between success and failure when a team runs into problems.

4) Positivity

Positivity is a powerful tool that can be used to encourage and extract untapped potential from team members. It can also be used to motivate and carry a team through challenges and decisions. A positive leader will motivate and encourage their team to perform better, and a positive team will find it easier getting through rough times.

5) Humility

No one likes to deal with an arrogant individual, much less an arrogant leader. Share your wins with the team and strive to understand different team members’ point of views. A humble leader will help team members feel more comfortable by connecting with them. Also, team members will feel more at ease when it comes to voicing their opinions if they know that they have the freedom and support to do so.

6) Integrity - Honesty and Transparency

Be upfront and transparent with your team – team members will appreciate you more for being forthright rather than trying to withhold information from them. Take responsibility for mistakes. A leader with integrity will be able to command the respect of their team and effectively lead members to achieve goals efficiently. Remember that it is easier to lose someone’s trust than it is to build it.

7) Objectivity

A successful team leader needs to be objective. An objective leader is able to understand various points of an argument/discussion while reaching solutions that are goal-oriented. Objective leaders are also able to external factors to reach fair decisions that sit well with the team. Team members will also know that decisions made are fair and just, rather than being based on preferences or other factors. These above traits are but a few of many others that contribute to building an effective team and being a great manager. Remember, an effective and successful team starts with the leader.