Cut From A Different Cloth

Not all experts can be effective team leaders.

- John Colley

Leading teams is far from straightforward. Over the years, millions of articles have been written on this subject demonstrating the interest and importance of team leadership. Without mastering this particular skill, it becomes difficult to progress in management. Indeed, many never do. There is a vast difference between being an expert in a particular field and managing a team. However, performance as an expert is often rewarded with a team manager position for which many are inadequately prepared. There is little overlap in necessary skill sets. This article talks about some of the major pitfalls to avoid and how to become a successful team leader. This will ultimately assist in career progression.

There are three approaches to improving team leadership and performance:

Team selection: the first opportunity

The authority to find and select your own team members is a real luxury in many organisations. This happens particularly in the public sector where new team leaders inherit a team and have little or no authority o change the members. This presents various challenges, which are not insurmountable but are certainly demanding. For new team leaders in other organisations, they may have varying degrees of authority in selecting and changing team members.

The first common mistake is selecting people who appear easy to manage and do not challenge the team leader in terms of capability. Basic insecurity and avoiding any kind of competitive threat to the leader results in mediocre people being recruited. This is always a mistake for a wide variety of reasons. First of all, the team will perform less well and this will be seen as a direct reflection of the leader’s capability. In reality, excellent team performance is seen as a proxy for the leader’s performance. Leaders will be judged by the performance of their teams.