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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is one of the most inspirational and courageous leaders in history. Not only was he the President of South Africa, he also led an anti-apartheid revolution. He served 27 years in prison but that didn’t deter him from fighting against systemic injustices. He combated poverty and HIV/AIDS through his philanthropic initiative, the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Mandela is an exemplary leader who fulfilled his responsibilities with dedication. He was focused on his mission and always saw the bigger picture. Most of all, he showed the world what positive leadership looks like. Leaders often exceed people’s expectations and shoulder responsibilities for the greater good. Read on to understand the roles of an effective team leader and how you can practice positive leadership.
Who Is A Leader?
If you’ve tried to define leadership, you know that it’s not an easy concept to explain. Every organization and individual describes leadership in unique ways. Nevertheless, every leader questions ideas and takes risks. Most of us wouldn’t dare to tread on these thin ropes but a leader steps up to the challenge. A good leader always puts others first and empowers them.
A team leader’s roles and responsibilities extend beyond meeting business goals and targets. Positive leadership is a combination of effective management, displaying emotional intelligence, exercising self-control, inspiring and motivating employees and creating a productive and enjoyable work environment. However, the primary responsibility of a leader is to help all team members recognize their full potential and encourage them to become leaders themselves.
Role Of A Leader
Team leaders are innovators and risk-takers, who go above and beyond what’s expected of them. For example, a manager can delegate tasks as well as formulate a new business strategy. In short, leaders perform multidisciplinary roles.
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Manager Or Supervisor:
Responsible for overseeing all the activities within a team or a department
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Communicator:
Responsible for distributing information and encouraging collaboration among team members
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Goal-Setter:
Responsible for determining the short-term and long-term goals that employees will work toward
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Strategist:
Responsible for brainstorming ideas and developing plans to achieve targets
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Organizer:
Responsible for monitoring progress and structuring employees’ tasks and workloads
Responsibilities Of A Team Leader
If you’re looking to provide effective guidance to your team, find ways to supervise and manage their work on a daily basis. As a team leader, you should be able to act proactively to ensure smooth operation and collaboration among your team members. Here is a list of some of the most essential responsibilities of a team leader.
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Encourage Others
A leader has the power to influence others, inspire enthusiasm and stimulate others’ interests. When you demonstrate a strong work ethic, your team follows because they learn from the examples you set.
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Ensure Long-Term Business Success
One of the key responsibilities of a team leader is to promote and drive business goals. You need to stay focused on the long-term success of your organization because changes are imminent. Prepare your team for unanticipated challenges and evolving business demands.
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Develop A Team’s Strengths & Weaknesses
The role of a leader is to identify a team’s strengths and weaknesses. By determining who on the team excels at which task, delegate responsibilities accordingly. Make your employees accountable for their actions and performance. Delegation creates new learning opportunities as people make independent decisions.
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Ask Tough Questions
Part of your responsibility as a leader is to ask tough questions. There’ll be times when your suggestions create conflict. But you should ask hard-hitting questions for the greater benefit of your organization. For example, if senior management proposes a new business strategy, you should be able to ask uncomfortable questions like ‘is this ethical?’ confidently.
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Resolve Conflict
Teams are made of diverse people with different perspectives, work habits and learning methods. Conflicts are inevitable as various people from different backgrounds come together and solve common problems. As a team leader, you’re responsible for maintaining intra-team harmony by setting ground rules and clearly assigning tasks.
In order to fully comprehend and embrace the responsibilities of a successful team leader, understand what works for you and what doesn’t. Harappa Education’s Leading Self course will help you get on the right path to recognize your true potential. You’ll learn to take ownership, be open to developing new skills and navigate challenges that hamper your personal growth. Overcome limiting beliefs by using the Iceberg Model and Performance Equation frameworks. Explore what works best for you and master the skills of an effective leader today!
Explore topics such as What is Leadership, How to Motivate Your Team, Types of Leadership & Examples of a Role Model from our Harappa Diaries section and lead on a path of self-development.
