15 Steps For Effective Team Leadership

     Leading a team to become an effective and efficient group is an important part of any organizations framework.  Leadership in a team environment is essential for the team’s success.  Effective team leadership requires a leader to perform certain actions to be effective.  Team leadership is an essential part of creating an environment for success.  In order for a leader to move a team into effectiveness the leader must be effective in these fifteen areas of management.

Compose team - The leader must be a facilitator in composing the team so that they are effective in assigning the respective responsibilities within the team. 

Define mission - Defining a mission is crucial to the team understanding their directive and moving in the same direction to achieve the goals

Establish expectations and goals - A leader must be sure that the goals and expectations of the team and the individual team members are understood is iatrical to the success of the team. 

Structure and plan - With the team’s mission and overall purpose established, setting challenging but realistic goals for the team and outlining clear performance expectations based on those goals aids in accomplishing the team’s task

Train and develop team - Leadership actions directed at coaching, developing, and mentoring the team have been shown to enhance team processes and effectiveness across a wide range of formal and informal leadership sources

Sense making - Given the impact that disruptive events can have on team functioning, sense making is a particularly important team leadership function that satisfies important team needs.

Provide feedback - From a functional leadership perspective, feedback processes are an integral part of the team leadership process that allow teams to assess their performance, adapt as necessary, and develop over time

Monitor team - To ensure that the team performs up to its potential and is aware of external contingencies that may impact its functioning; the team must be monitored as it actively engages in task performance

Manage team boundaries - The leader must be involved in creating team boundaries and work as the peace keeper and manager of the team’s interaction

Challenge team - The team leader needs to challenging teams with regard to their task performance and confronting the team’s assumptions, methods, and processes in an effort to find the best ways of accomplishing the team’s work

Perform team task – Sometimes a leader needs to roll up their sleeves and help. A team leader may need to  perform the team’s task involves taking a more active role in the team’s work by participating, intervening, or otherwise performing some of the team’s task work.

Solve problems - As a leader it is necessary to solve problems that surface in the team’s directive.  There are times that problems suffice that must have the assistance of the leader to solve in these instances a strong leader is required to solve the issues so that the team can progress in the team’s directive

Provide resources – As a Leader it is important to provide resources for the team. This includes obtaining and providing informational, financial, material and personnel resources for the team.

Encourage team self-management – A Leader needs to encourage team members to resolve task and teamwork related problems themselves, and by relying on their own resources rather than seeking expertise from outside the team, the team becomes more adaptable and resilient.

Support social climate – A Leader must help to solve conflicts, building cohesion, setting the team climate, demonstrating consideration, and empowering team members. They found a positive relationship between supportive team leaders and team performance.

     As a Leader it is essential to be proactive in the formation and facilitation of the team that they lead.  A leader is the facilitator and with this monitoring, solving issues and moving the team forward are essential parts of their responsibility.  Without all of the elements of effective leadership a group could falter.  Effective leadership in a team can create success for the organization overall and produce a highly effective team.  They must have an open communication with the members of the group to assure that the directives are being met. When all of these directives are met the leader can create an effective team.

Morgeson, F., DeRue, D., & Karam, E. (2010). Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. Journal of  Management, 36(1), 5-39. (Business Source Complete Accession Number: AN 47241619).

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