Qualities Of An Effective Team Leader

Task 3.2
Differences between team leader and member.

Team leader.
An effective team leader has a variety of traits and characteristics that encourage team members to follow him. Team leaders naturally possess certain qualities, such as compassion and integrity, or learn leadership skills through formal training and experience. The qualities of an effective team leader inspire the trust and respect of the team and stimulate production within the workplace.

Communication
Effective team leaders communicate clearly. Quality verbal and written communication skills allow leaders to present expectations to team members in a way workers can understand. Effective communication skills also allow team leaders to listen to the input of others.

Organization

The team coordinator assures that specifications of a project are met and that team members work together so their efforts are channeled toward the ultimate goal. A coordinator can be expected to keep records, assign tasks and analyze processes. A coordinator makes sure the project is done efficiently, progresses stay on schedule and within budget, and meet the quality standards put forth by the company. Team members may or may not report directly to the team coordinator.

• Team Leader Position
The team leader primarily focuses on the human resources of the team. Team leaders can be former supervisors or experienced managers from within the company or hired anew. A college degree is usually required for this type of management job. Team leaders must balance the needs of a team with the needs of upper management and how the team’s work aligns with overall company or client goals. A team leader reports obstacles on the horizon and communicates with the team coordinator about changes in plans. Strong communication and leadership skills are essential. Team members and team coordinators report to team leaders.

• Managing

Work teams usually have the intent of encouraging more ideas and creating a team culture where debate is accepted. When employees have more natural disagreement, tension and personal frustration can enter the mix, causing team members to experience interpersonal conflict. To preserve effective team functioning over time, employees need to quickly resolve conflicts and move past them.

1. Define Acceptable Behavior:
Creating a framework for decisioning, using a published delegation of authority statement, encouraging sound business practices in collaboration, team building, leadership development, and talent management will all help avoid conflicts. Having clearly defined job descriptions so that people know what’s expected of them, and a well articulated chain of command to allow for effective communication will also help avoid conflicts.

2. Hit Conflict Head-on: By actually seeking out areas of potential conflict and proactively intervening in a just and decisive fashion will likely prevent certain conflicts from ever