A leader with a clear vision and the ability to get his or her team to work toward that vision is what makes for a strong, positive team.
The diversity and expertise of the leader's team don't bother him or her at all. Instead, a good team leader talks with his or her team members about what quality is, what is needed to do and finish the job, and gives the team members the power to always try to improve quality.
Let's take all of that apart into its parts. The first is having a clear leader. I think that every team needs a leader. Someone has to be in charge and make the most important decisions.
Team members can take turns being in charge, as long as everyone knows who is in charge at any given time. One way to change this idea is to let certain people lead projects that are in their area of expertise. But there can never be any doubt among teammates about who is in charge for that day or project.
The person in charge needs to have a plan. "Begin with the end in mind," Covey's second habit, is similar to this. A real leader makes the end result twice: once in his or her mind, and then in the real world. You can't lead toward something that isn't clear. People just aren't interested in following uncertainty.
Not just having a vision is enough to get people to work toward the same goal. A good team leader knows how to help each team member understand how the end product or service will help people and what their specific role is in getting there.
How does the janitor make a professional baseball game more fun for the fans? How? By making sure the bathroom is clean and tidy. If the janitor sees himself as an important part of the big picture and gets good feedback for it, he is more likely to work hard at his job.
To be able to motivate your teammates, you should also have a clear mission that everyone, if possible, helped to create. If that's not possible, at least everyone can agree on the mission that was already set.
This is important when people on the team are fighting with each other. When you need to settle a disagreement, it's helpful to have a way to measure how well you did. Solutions are always weighed against the mission and whether or not they will bring the team closer or farther away from the ultimate goal.
Having a mission that everyone on the team agrees on can also make it easier for people to work together. Egos are one of the most difficult things to deal with on a team. Small jealousies and a desire to win can stop even the best team from working together. The mission statement is a way to lessen the chance of this happening.
The mission stays the main thing, and everything else is measured against it. A person's actions can either help or hurt the mission, so they are dealt with in the right way. The goal of the group must always come before the wants or egos of any one person. On a team, it doesn't help to be jealous or to try to hurt someone else.
A good leader isn't scared by the different skills and backgrounds of the people on his or her team. The best leaders are always asking the people who are doing the real work what they think. If team members don't tell the leader what they know, the leader's hands are tied behind his or her back.
It is also critical to use team members in their areas of expertise. Leaders can't be experts in every subject. Some people on the team will have skills and abilities that are better than those of the leader in some ways. When it makes sense, a good leader will ask for help.
This is also a good time to appreciate differences. A team of people who all do the same jobs in pretty much the same way isn't very useful. It would be easier for one person to do the job than for a team of people who are all the same.
The diversity of a team is what makes it valuable. The team's creativity and genius will be sparked by feedback and ideas from people who do things differently. This is what it means to have a master plan. Use the money and resources that are already there.
Lastly, a good leader sets high standards. He or she doesn't want his or her team to be average. The words "average" and "mediocre" are easy to replace. The leader tells his or her team to do their best as a group, and when they're done, the leader tells them to keep trying to get better. There is always more to do. The team should always look at what has been done and feel free to make suggestions about how to do it better.
I've already said that a good leader gives his or her team members the tools they need to succeed. This is done by making an environment that meets people's needs. Team members need to get along with each other and trust that the leader and the company are looking out for their best interests. They need to feel like they are important, heard, and valued. They should be able to choose how to do their assignments, and they should be able to have fun while working.
It's also important that everyone on the team feels safe. This means that they don't have any fear at all. The team leader is very important in creating this kind of environment so that everyone on the team feels like they have power.
