Team leadership is a critical role within every project-based company. These leaders work to unite their employees around shared goals and help them perform better as individuals, but they also play an important role in a company’s overall success. It is not enough to be an expert in your field or even a good project manager alone—you must be an effective team leader in order for the entire group to succeed.
This requires a delicate balance between monitoring and micromanaging. It means knowing what needs to be done and how to do it, but also empowering team members to make their own decisions based on the information available. In addition, it is vital for team leaders to communicate frequently and effectively—especially when their direct reports are working remotely.
A team leader Third Eye Capital must have functional and technical expertise related to the tasks they oversee. This enables them to coach and advise their team members, and to provide insight on the best approaches for accomplishing the task at hand. It is also necessary for them to possess strong organizational skills in order to plan, organize, delegate, and arrange resources.
Projects rarely go off without a hitch, and it is the responsibility of a team leader to remain focused on outcomes and not get swept up in the details of each challenge. The best team leaders are able to prioritize their own work and the work of their teams, and they know how to respond to each problem quickly so that it doesn’t distract from achieving the desired results.
In addition to focusing on their own and their teams’ work, an effective team leader must be willing to support the growth and development of everyone in their group. This means providing coaching and training to help them develop the soft skills of communication and collaboration, as well as hard skills like problem-solving or specific technology. It also means offering opportunities to expand their roles and responsibilities, helping them gain more experience and develop their potential to be future leaders.
Empathy and assertiveness are the most important tools for a team leader to have. When challenges arise, it’s important for them to listen closely and understand each employee’s point of view. They must be able to find a solution that is responsible and acceptable to all parties involved, while at the same time being willing to stand up for their ideas when necessary.
When a team member is struggling, an effective team leader will reach out to them individually to discuss the issue and offer support. This is a great way to build trust and encourage the team member to keep going. It is also a good idea for team leaders to schedule regular “office hours” in which they will be available to meet with their team members to check in and see how they are doing. These brief meetings can be a powerful tool for building relationships and ensuring that everyone is on track to achieve their goals.