Role of Team Leader in Team Building

A single brain sometimes cannot take decisions alone. One needs the assistance and guidance of others as well to accomplish the tasks within the desired time frame. In a team, every member contributes to his level best to achieve the assigned targets. The team members must be compatible with each other to avoid unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings. Every team should have a team leader who can hold his team together and extract the best out of the team members. The team leader should be such that every individual draws inspiration from him and seek his advice and guidance whenever required. He should be a role model for his team members. A team leader plays an important role in guiding the team members and motivating them to stay focused. A team leader is one who sets a goal and objective for the team. Every team is formed for a purpose. The leader alone should not set the goal, suggestions should be invited from one and all and issues must be discussed on an open forum. He must make his team members well aware of their roles and responsibilities. He must understand his team members well. The duties and responsibilities must be assigned as per their interest and specialization for them to accept the challenge willingly. Never impose things on them.

A team leader must be impartial. He should support one and all equally. Partiality leads to negativity and conflicts among the team members. Don’t favour anyone just because he is your friend.

As a team leader, one should constantly motivate his team members. Motivate them so that they perform even better the next time. Avoid criticizing anyone. Never make fun of anyone’s mistakes, instead correct him in a polite way.

Encourage the team members to help each other. Create a positive ambience at the workplace. Avoid playing politics or provoking individuals to fight. Make sure that the team members do not fight among themselves. In case of a conflict, don’t add fuel to the fire, rather try to resolve the fight immediately. Listen to both the parties before coming to any conclusion. Try to come to an alternative feasible for all.

Be a mentor to your team members. “Hitler approach” doesn’t work in the modern scenario. The team members should be able to gain from the team leader’s talent and mentorship. He must stand by his team always. When a team performs well, the credit goes to the team leader, similarly at times when the team fails to perform as per the expectations of others, don’t try to play safe. A leader should own his mistakes as well as his team member’s. Don’t play blame games or point fingers at others. No body will respect you this way.

Problems may crop up anytime in the team. The leader must be easily available to his team. The team member should have the liberty to walk up to his mentor whenever he is unable to take a decision on his own. The team members should be able to fall back on their leader anytime without the fear of getting rebuked.

The team leader should take the initiative of bringing the team members closer. A leader should try his level best to break the ice among them. Celebrate their birthdays, anniversaries together so that they can discuss issues apart from work more freely. It is okay if you share one or two jokes with them but make sure you do not cross your limit. Once in a while do organize picnics or parties where families can also be invited. Such activities strengthen the bond among the employees apart from increasing the trust factor between them.

It is the duty of the mentor to monitor the team’s performance on a regular basis. Any dip in the performance of any team member must not be ignored. Call him immediately and discuss with him in private. He might feel insulted in front of others. Talk to him face to face. Encourage everyone to participate in team discussions and express their opinions freely. If any team member is not performing up to the expected level, don’t sack him immediately. Try to give him another opportunity or probably any other role and ensure he delivers his best this time.

The team leader is the face of every team as well as the organization. An aeroplane will definitely crash, if the pilot loses focus and control, similarly a team can’t perform unless and until the leader has his control on the team. It is okay to be friendly with your team members, but make sure they do not take undue advantage of this gesture. Discipline is a must. Give your team a direction, without which it fails to perform.

If a team member comes to you to discuss any of his personal problems, lend him a sympathetic ear. Try to help him. Keep the things to yourself and do not escalate it to the management. Do not ask for too many favours from your team members. Don’t ask them to go for your grocery shopping or book movie tickets for you. Remember if you yourself do not adhere to the rules and regulations of the organization, your team members will never bother to do so. Be disciplined yourself to expect the same from them. A team leader should set an example for others.