X-teams How To Build Teams That Lead Innovate And Succeed

Teamwork is an important part of leadership. A leader is by nature someone who motivates others to work together towards a common goal. As such, being able to develop teams that collaborate with you and bring out the best in each other is a key skill for anyone aspiring to lead.

Teaming is not easy. It takes time and energy to create successful teams. This article will talk about some things team leaders can do to help their team succeed and innovate.

Make team assignments

As discussed earlier, leadership is a process that develops as you position yourself in roles and positions of authority. Becoming an inspiring leader requires setting goals for others and giving them clear instructions on how to achieve those goals.

As your career progresses, you will be given more responsibility and tasks that can’t always be done alone.

That’s when someone else on your staff comes into play. A coach or manager may need some guidance from you, while another employee could use your expertise.

It’s their success under you that counts — not just whether they repeat what you say but whether they implement your strategies and solutions where you left off.

So as their boss, it’s up to you to help them succeed by establishing relationships that are strong and dependable. When they fail, you’ll still have theirs.

Your colleagues will also look to you for advice and input.

Hold team meetings

Team meeting are an integral part of any successful organization. These meetings should be held at least once every week, if not more frequently.

Team meetings help keep everyone in touch with what’s going on around the workplace, give people a chance to talk about things they need help with, and promote teamwork by encouraging conversation and cooperation.

They also provide a good forum for introducing changes or new projects. By being open and honest during these meetings, you will create a supportive environment that is conducive to innovation.

In fact, research shows that without effective group discussions, collaboration can become too focused on keeping up with others instead of creating something unique and meaningful.

That’s why it's so important to hold them. But how do you make sure this happens? Here are some tips.

Communicate effectively

As noted earlier, leadership is about inspiring people to work together towards a common goal. This doesn’t happen by chance or luck, it happens through communication.

Effective leaders are masters of communicating both what needs to be done and why it matters. They know how to motivate others to do their job so they can focus on doing theirs.

They also understand how to use conversation as a tool for motivation. A good leader will make time to talk to his team members, not just at meeting times but throughout the day.

He’ll ask questions, discuss ideas, challenge assumptions, and listen to answers. When things get tough, he’ll find ways to keep talking.

Research has shown that when employees feel connected to their organization, they’re more likely to put in extra effort and contribute more than if they don’t. In other words, they’ll go above and beyond the call of duty because they want to stay part of the team.

Provide structure

A well run team has individuals with clear responsibilities, regular meetings, and effective communication systems.

Team members who don’t know what their next task is or aren’t able to communicate effectively can hurt productivity and even cause resentment.

For example, when one person knows of an important project that no one else does, they may feel compelled to do it themselves without asking for help. Or if someone is constantly being interrupted, they will be less willing to contribute ideas and thoughts.

Structure is key in keeping teams organized and productive. This article will discuss some ways to provide this structure for your organization’s most innovative teams.

Disclaimer: The following suggestions cannot make up for a lack of leadership from top down, but you as a leader can create conditions that are supportive of innovation.

Challenge team members

Changing leadership styles is not easy, even for experienced leaders. As mentioned earlier, the leader of an organization can easily become complacent with how they lead their group.

For example, you may work in an environment where your boss does not ask questions or challenge you on projects. Or he/she may give you too much leeway and praise without pushback.

At this stage, you may start to feel that your job security comes from never being asked to prove yourself or show what you know. This makes it very difficult to develop and grow professionally, which is why most successful people have constant challenges at their workplace.

Their bosses keep them on their toes by asking tough questions, giving feedback, and promoting them.

So if you are ever feeling like your leadership style is the same as always, try looking into ways to improve it.

Be an expert facilitator

Being able as well as willing to facilitate conversations is one of the most important qualities in leadership. When things get heated, you can step in and bring people back from their emotional brink by helping them identify the underlying issues, defining terms, and bringing up examples that help everyone understand what’s going on.

This isn’t just helpful in work and life situations, it’s also crucial when trying to create change or motivate others.

Facilitators do this with groups all the time — they organize a meeting, run it according to plan, and then are left wondering why nothing got done. (Hint: It didn’t because someone else took over.)

So how can you be a better leader by facilitating conversations? Here are some tips.

Hold team members accountable

As mentioned earlier, your leadership can’t expect people to strive for excellence if they don’t know about it or aren’t held accountable for its achievement. If someone doesn’t do their job well, you have to let them go so that somebody who will is able to take over.

As leader, holding others accountable makes you look good and helps motivate other individuals in the organization.

Make it fun

Changing how you manage your team will never happen if you are not having fun as a leader, and that includes giving them adequate resources and support. If you’re in it for good results, then you must enjoy being around people who want what you have got – an ambitious goal or mission.

As a leadership expert, I talk about innovation and leading innovators often. What makes someone an innovative leader is whether they actively seek out innovations and strategies to use in their workplace.

This isn’t always popular among colleagues, but successful leaders know that keeping up with new trends can keep you at the forefront of professional development.

It also gives your career some needed kudos. A lot of times, people get stuck in a rut because they don’t feel like they can try something new without getting stared down. It creates a barrier to progress which only hurts anyone involved.

By showing an interest in finding ways to make your job more efficient or productive, you’ll win respect and gratitude. Both are essential components to success as a leader.