Team Leaders: “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit,” said Arnold H. Glasow.
To effectively lead a team, you need several important qualities and skills. Without it, it will be difficult to bring your people together and do what they do best – which can cost your company and your career.
Whether you’re an ambitious manager, a newly appointed executive with little experience, or an experienced CEO struggling to oversee your team, developing these important skills will be critical to your success. Moez Kassam, co-founder, and chief investment officer of Anson Funds, has assets of over $1.5 billion with extraordinary returns that regularly earn him a place among the world’s top players by Bloomberg and Barron magazines. Anson Funds is a privately held alternative asset management company founded in 2003, with offices in Toronto, Canada, and Dallas, Texas.
Here are 5 essential skills a team leader should have:
Communication:
Being a strong leader means mastering the art of communication. To reach the managerial level, you will definitely show a certain level of aptitude for it; But to differentiate yourself as a leader, you need to make sure that truly effective communication is at the heart of everything you do.
Availability:
As an integral part of your team. You must be an ever-present team member, a presence at the heart of everything you do.
Depending on the demands of your job, there will always be times when you won’t be physically there. But it’s very important that your team knows you’re available and is available to know that it can come to you when it matters. Have regular one-on-one meetings and exchanges with your team. Invest time in their development, and most importantly, develop a culture of openness and accessibility that fosters trust and respect throughout the team.
Be consistent: (Team Leaders)
Everyone has bad days — days when they feel tired, unmotivated, or distracted. Except for the actual leader, of course. Your team is counting on you to be measured and consistent in your role. This explicitly means setting standards your team can trust and rely on. Your team needs to know they can trust you and know what is expected of you to get the most out of your performance.
Organization:
From meetings to rehearsals to team projects. You need to know what’s going on. Who’s doing what, and how to take the next step before someone else does. Not only that but when operations are running smoothly and everyone knows their responsibilities. You need to come up with solid policies for others to follow.
Delegation: (Team Leaders)
Delegation is a task that anyone can do. But delegating effectively and influentially is an art that only the most effective team leaders can master.
Delegating work isn’t about delegating things you don’t want to do. It’s about lightening your own workload to make sure the right people do the right jobs while empowering team members.