There are many facets to being a great leader. One of the toughest challenges is developing the skills necessary to lead a team, no matter the size. As leader of a team, there are several things you must take into account to ensure your team is working efficiently and isn’t vulnerable to disconnect. Here are a few of the factors to consider:

It helps to set ground rules. This will provide structure for how your team discusses problems, establish accountability for every individual and determine how someone should bring up an issue. With ground rules in place, you can help your team avoid losing focus as you work together toward a common goal.

Show your commitment and your team members will do the same. Commitment comes in many forms, from excitement, passion and a willingness to take on the tough tasks. If your team believes you are not 100 percent committed to the task, then why should they commit their time and energy to it? Be sure your team members feel they are valued in the team with praise and inclusion.

Remember, not everyone thinks the way you think or sees exactly what you see. Try discovering your team members’ strengths and what makes them “tick” through team-building activities and leaving your door open for one-on-one discussion. In this article, Indigo Johnson speaks on how she stopped blaming others and instead focused on improving her leadership skills to better lead and inspire her employees. Assign tasks that highlight the strengths of your team members and seek out honesty if something is not the way it should be. This can be one of the most difficult tasks to do as a leader, so be sure to take enough time to understand your team.

Barriers to team unity and accomplishment exist in many different forms, from geographical distance to gaps in members’ skill sets. As a leader, it is your responsibility to keep your team focused on the common goal by providing structure, stability and understanding. Having these abilities is essential to being a leader regardless of the situation.

At one point or another, every great idea encounters some sort of hurdle. A hurdle can range from a financial or time constraint to an unwelcoming public and lack of motivation from the innovator.

The question then becomes: Do you believe in your idea enough to follow through with it, given everything that’s trying to hold you back?

In Kaihan Krippendorff’s book, Outthink the Competition, he spends some time attempting to help those whose ideas seem like far off dreams. He believes “this ability to believe in your vision despite current reality is fundamental. You cannot intentionally change the world without it.” He goes on to present three tips that he feels can help anybody stay motivated in turning an idea into an innovation:

1. Seek simple logic – for this tip, Krippendorff emphasizes that innovators don’t listen to what other people say about a situation or challenge. For this reason, if you want something changed or seek to create something new, simply do it.
2. Believe – to this point he claims “an innovative vision is usually inconsistent with prevailing logic and beliefs (otherwise it is probably not that innovative).” While somewhat humorous, this point is truthful. There will be plenty of doubters and critics of a new idea, but an innovator must have the resolve to see beyond what others are saying and push forward with what they believe is a great idea.
3. Remember – while it is important to believe in your idea and look beyond the doubters and critics, working steadily at turning your idea into an innovation is equally, if not more important. Don’t let too many things distract you from putting your idea into action. Krippendorff explains that many ideas are pushed aside in favor of less-daunting tasks. It will be easier to first break down your challenge into manageable tasks and then take it on step by step.

With these three tips, you can hold on to your great idea through the adversity you may face. Without people willing to risk something in order to turn their ideas into innovation, many of the luxuries society has today would not exist. Keeping your logic simple, believing in your idea and remembering to constantly work at making your idea will help you turn it into an innovation.

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No one is perfect. Even leaders make mistakes sometimes, but recognizing your “Achilles heel” and making a plan to improve has a positive impact on the effectiveness and profitability of your organization. Beth Armknecht Miller, founder and president of Executive Velocity, is a regular guest writer for Great Leadership. She shares the five most common mistakes she’s seen leaders make during her experience as a leadership development advisor.

 

1. Focusing on the Urgent and not the Important

 

1. Lack of Consistent Communication

 

1. Ineffective Feedback

 

1. Failing to Define Clear Goals

 

1. Misunderstanding Motivation

 

For more leadership advice from Beth, visit http://executivevelocityblog.com/ or follow her on Twitter.

A leader often holds the titles of team facilitator, teacher and student. In order to effectively teach others leadership and management skills, it is important to be asking the right questions to both yourself and your employees. You might ask yourself the classic questions, such as “Are leaders born or made?” and “What are the core values of a leader?” But what about more situational questions like “Is it okay for managers to be friends with their employees?”

Dan McCarthy, director of Executive Development Programs (EDP) at The University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics, uses his award-winning blog Great Leadership as a resource for leadership development. He suggests using these questions that he formulated for both individual and large group discussions. McCarthy makes note that some have clear answers, while others may be more subjective.

1. What is leadership? What’s the difference between leadership and management?

2. Two of your employees come to you with a complaint about another one of your employees. You’ve never personally observed the behavior they are complaining about. Do you confront the employee? If so, do you mention the complaints?

3. Does a leader need power? How can a leader avoid being corrupted by power?

4. Your manager congratulates you for a brilliant suggestion and hints at a promotion. Your employee gave you the idea. Do you mention this to the manager?

5. Think about the best leaders you have ever known. What made them so great? What did they do or not do?

6. You’re reviewing the results of an employee survey and accidentally discover a way to see individual responses and comments. You feel one of the comments crosses the line and is inappropriate. Do you confront the employee?

7. What are the your most challenging leadership/management challenges facing you today?

8. Your employee is going to pick up her dry cleaning over lunch. She notices a ticket on your desk for the same dry cleaner and offers to pick yours up too. Do you accept the offer?

9. What’s your leadership vision? What’s your vision for your group/team/organization?

10. One of your employees gives you an expensive birthday gift, at least 5 times more than any other employee. Do you accept it?

Check out even more leadership questions, courtesy of Dan McCarthy, here.

Being a leader is no easy task, but sometimes looking to other leaders for inspiration can help.  Leadership Now recommends these new releases as must-reads for aspiring leaders:

• What Matters Now by Gary Hamel ($18.32)
• Smart Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey and Greg Link with Rebecca R. Merrill ($18.36)
• The Shaping of an Effective Leader by Gayle D. Beebe with Foreword by Steve Forbes ($10.88)
• Amplified Leadership by Dan Reiland ($10.16)
• Taking People With You by David Novak ($17.65)

Harry Truman once said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

It’s been 20 years since the founding of Leadership Buckhead! And we’re having a party!

Date: Saturday, April 16
Time: 7 – 11 pm
Location: Gordon Biersch (Buckhead) (www.gordonbiersch.com)
Special guest: Marilyn Marks (founder and esteemed advisor)

We will provide food and there will be a cash bar available. We hope to see you there!