Leaders adept in managing crises are always sought after. Leaders who accept change and make others accept change are assets for a business.

Introduction

Leaders create more leaders – so goes the famous saying. The true test of leadership is reflected only in times of crisis. But do people become leaders only because they occupy higher echelons in the organization structure?A good team is a great asset to any organization. But often leaders tend to take the credit for the successful outcomes of a team effort. If a leader has a fantastic team then success is assured. But the challenge for a leader is to deal with teams which are not performing so that they can be motivated and energized to put their best foot forward.

Traits of a good leader - creating a dream team

A leader has to unleash every individual’s potential to its full extent to remove constraints.

Leaders have to work through constraints as though they do not exist. Businesses expect leaders to be successful amidst all the constraints.

It is the leader’s job to encourage subordinates, unleash the potential of individuals and in the process help effectively deal with constraints like budget, time and scope.

A true leader should not lean on a dream team for success – then where is the question of his leadership contributing to the success? It is the job of a leader to create a dream team.

What a leader can (should) do

1. A leader must promote internalization of goals and objectives by teams. There has to be a shared vision about the company’s goals. Working towards the company’s objectives must be in every employee’s DNA. This will greatly enhance the quality of decision making.
2. Planning is important for a leader. A leader has to use his vision and imagination to predict how things will unfold. Experience of a leader helps him in dealing with blind spots.
3. Communication follows the principle of garbage-in-garbage-out. Leaders have to communicate with utmost clarity & simplicity. Communication must be frequent and purpose driven. It must enable teams to see the big picture.
4. Leaders have to clarify expectations from the teams and for this continuous engagement is a must. In a likewise manner it is also important to understand what the teams expect from leaders.
5. Leaders should have faith and trust in their teams. Words must be complemented by actions. Mutual trust between a leader and his team members can lead to a magical transformation in the output and will lead to greater synergy in achieving the organization’s objectives.
6. Leaders need to recognize the good work put in by team members. Recognition has to come at the right time. The “burnt out” feeling among people is a common complaint and a leader has to prevent this from happening.
7. Staying focused is important. Fighting distractions is an important aspect of executing the planned tasks. Leaders have to revisit the goals and objectives from time to time and never lose track of them.
8. True talent must be recognized and nurtured. Developmental opportunities must be provided and the leaders must, therefore, create an optimal balance between company objectives and individual objectives. 

gvenkatesh

Teaching faculty

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