Ready To Lead?

READY TO LEAD?

106

Reflect upon

Working with teams is what makes the leader’s role so interesting. It is also

what makes it so challenging. In relation to the teambuilding issues covered

here, watch and learn from good and bad practice in action every day in your

organisation. This will help you to prepare for leadership. As you do so, keep

the following key messages with you:



Successful teams do not just happen, they must be built and sustained.

A combination of eight building-blocks must be considered.



Teams are not static, they shift between different states of

effectiveness.



People at work are more likely to be motivated when communication is

open and regular, when they feel valued, and when their achievements

are recognised and appreciated.



Motivating your team at work is primarily about creating a ‘total

environment’ which contains as many common motivators as possible.



You must also get to know your team as individuals so that you can

identify their personal motivators.



Conflict is a reality in any group or team. Although dealing with conflict

may be difficult, you must take proactive steps to address it. Ignoring

destructive conflict is a bad idea.



Change is an important feature of leadership and you should promote

change, when it is for the best and not just for the sake of it.



Each change situation has to be handled differently and the amount of

control you have over the change will determine how you deal with it.



As a general rule, try to involve your team in decision-making around

change and when you cannot do this, at least be willing to address

their areas of concern as best you can.



Do not allow repetitive and unacceptable behaviour by individuals

within the team to go unchallenged.

In Part 5 we will shift the focus to summarising what you have learned

about yourself so far and translating that into concrete action to help you to

get ready to lead.

READ_C08.QXP 1/10/07 12:04 Page 106