Top 10 qualities for a successful team leader

A successful team leader is an asset for an organization or an institution. We all have heard that leaders are born not made. However, there are certainly some skills which when acquired can groom you to towards becoming a successful leader. In simple words, leadership qualities can be acquired which help you to become a successful team leader in your organization.

Who is a successful team leader?

A successful team leader is one who inspires his team members to work passionately towards achieving the goals of the organization.  He is the one who helps find a solution when everything fails to work. A team leader is the person who recognizes the essential skills of his team members and assigns them tasks accordingly. In this way, he creates value for the organization. 

Essential Qualities of a Successful Team Leader

The top 10 qualities of a successful team leader are the following:

1. Communication: The first and foremost quality which sets you apart as successful team leader is your ability to communicate with your team. A successful team leader should be able to communicate his plan of action and the targets to be achieved to his team members in a succinct and simple manner. Your communication should be such that it should leave no doubt in the minds of your team members. Clarity in your communication and the ability to convey your message across to your team is what makes you a successful team leader.

2. Confidence: One of the significant traits of a successful team leader is his confidence. Yes, you have to exhibit confidence in your words and actions so that your team members believe you. If you are not confident enough of your actions then you might put your team in doubt as well. So, remember to exude confidence which help you to garner the support and trust of your team members. This quality will also help you grow in the organization in the long-term.

3. Respectful: As a successful team leader, you need to realize the worth of your team members. You need to be respectful of your juniors as well as the members of your team. You cannot earn respect unless you show respect to others. This will make your team members repose their faith and trust in you. A respectful team leader earns fame and recognition in the organization as well.

4. Empathy: Empathy has emerged to be one of the significant traits of a successful team leader especially in this uncertain scenario of Covid-19. The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 created economic instability and an uncertain environment. Under such circumstances, a true leader is one who enquires about the well-being of his team members. An empathetic leader is one who is concerned about his team members and openly discusses with them about their problems. Empathy is one such quality which will help you in building trust and lasting relationships with your team members.

5. Transparency: This is one of the true leadership qualities essential for you to be successful as a leader. You lead by example only when you are transparent about your values, mission and the work culture. Transparency also helps you to build strong relationship with your team members. You need to clearly state what your goals are and how you will accomplish them along with your team members. In this way, your way of functioning becomes transparent and your goals can easily be visualized as aligned with the goals of your organization.

6. Accountability: You, as a successful team leader need to take full responsibility for your actions and that of your team members as well. When a project gets completed as planned and the team delivers, the credit of success goes to the entire team. But, when the project falls short of expectations or does not meet the set target, then you, as the leader have to take full accountability for the failure. Not only that, you also investigate the reasons for the failure and try to find a solution to it as well. This is where the differentiating factor comes in! A successful team leader, takes the onus, fills the gaps and creates a culture of accountability in the organization.

7. Delegation: You have to learn the art of delegating work if you want to become a successful team leader. Yes, you heard it correct! It is very easy to work on your own but difficult to get work done from others. You should be aware about the behaviour, specific skill sets and the attitude of your team members. This will help you in assigning projects to your team members.  Moreover, the team members also understand the responsibility given to them through the projects assigned to them. In simple words, proper delegation is one of the requisite skills of a leader.

8. Resilient: You must have been resilient to be able to face the unexpected crisis of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Believe me, if you are resilient, then you have the capability of facing even the toughest situations in your life be it personal or professional. The outbreak of the pandemic brought uncertainties with it, which affected every individual. Only a resilient leader would be in a position to maintain his composure and face the uncertain economic scenario with grit and determination. The ability to bounce back is not ingrained but it can be learned gradually and with the passage of time.

9. Passion: An outstanding quality of a successful team leader is his passion to do things. It is your passion which will make you excel in whatever you do. As a leader, you have to stand out in the crowd and it is your passion which inspires you to do tasks at hand in a perfect manner. It is your passion which drives you towards excellence in no matter what you do. So, do not underestimate your passion for your work or any other activity. Your passion is your driving force to excel as a team leader.

10. Trust and Empowerment: As a successful team leader you have to learn to have faith in the ability, potential and capability of your team members. The factor of ‘trust’ goes a long way in developing relationships with your team members. Once you evince trust, in return, your team members will show trust in you.  Moreover, you also need to empower your team members by assigning responsible work to them. You need to have faith that your team will perform well even in trying circumstances.  

Conclusion

Therefore, to conclude, if you want to be a successful team leader who need to possess some distinct qualities such as empathy and passion in you. Moreover, a true leader is one who takes onus for the failure of his team efforts. You need to gradually inculcate these qualities so that you become competent enough to face even the toughest circumstances in the business scenario.