How to Be a Good Team Leader

Co-authored by Lauren Krasny

Last Updated: December 22, 2022 References Approved

What does it mean to be a good team leader? Good leaders are motivating, decisive, and committed—but ultimately, people want leaders they can trust to have their backs. If you're looking to develop your own leadership qualities and get ahead in the professional world, we've put together a guide to help you. Read on for a handy list of strategies you can use to become an effective, successful, transformative leader for any team.

1

Ask questions to get to know your team.

Learn as much as you can about them and what they do. Think about it. You can’t truly be a successful leader if you don’t know your team. Be a “learner” instead of a “knower” by admitting that you don’t have all of the answers and asking a ton of questions, especially if you’re new to your role as team leader. Be excited to learn about each person on your team and their individual roles and personalities.^{[1]
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- For instance, as you pass someone on your team working on a project, you can ask them simple things like, “Hi! Can I ask about what you’re working on?” and after they explain the task or project, you can ask more personal questions like, “Do you enjoy doing these projects?” and “Do you have any ideas about how this could be done better?”
- If your team feels like you genuinely care about them, they’ll be more likely to like and respect you as a leader.

2

Communicate your thoughts and plans to your team.

Be as transparent and open as you can with them. Gone are the days of managers and bosses keeping a wall of privacy about what they’re thinking. It’s a much better practice to openly communicate with everyone on your team. Tell them what you’re thinking and what changes or new projects you’re considering. The more transparent you can be, the more your team will feel comfortable giving you their input and feedback, which can be really useful.^{[2]
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- For example, if you’re thinking of starting a new project that would require additional work from your team, you could say something like, “I really think this project could improve our efficiency in general and could end up increasing our profitability. But I recognize that it would also mean more work.” You could then invite your team to give their thoughts and ideas.

3

Listen to the people on your team and avoid interrupting them.

Allow the folks on your team to feel comfortable talking to you. Whenever someone on your team comes to you with a problem or even just to chat, maintain eye contact and listen to what they have to say. Be patient and avoid trying to interrupt them. Let your team feel like they can talk to you. Open communication can help make sure everyone is on the right page and problems are quickly addressed.^{[3]
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- For instance, if a team member comes to you and starts to explain a mistake that they made, be patient and avoid cutting them off. Let them explain what happened before you figure out what to do next.
- It doesn’t always have to be work-related, either. If you have someone on your team who just had a baby, for instance, let them tell you about it! You want your team to feel like they can trust you.

4

Care about your team’s professional and personal hardships.

Show them that they’re more than just employees to you. People tend to work harder for leaders if they feel that they genuinely care about their well-being. Check in with the people on your team regularly to make sure they’re doing alright. If they’re having problems at work or at home, tell them they can come to you if they feel comfortable. Knowing you have their back can make your team respect and trust you more.^{[4]
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- Don’t see the folks on your team as resources or tools for your own success. If you treat them with kindness and respect, they’ll respect you back.

5

Empathize with your team when they’re frustrated.

Show them you care and express your concern for them. Stuff happens! It’s very likely that at some point in time there will be a problem or a mistake that makes either you or someone on your team angry or frustrated. That’s okay. The important thing is that you let your team know that you care about their well-being by being patient and kind. You can then work together to figure out how to address an issue.^{[5]
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- For example, if someone’s computer keeps crashing and they’re losing all of their work, let them know that you understand how frustrating it can be and that you’ll work to have the problem fixed.

6

Direct praise to your team instead of yourself.

Give them the credit they deserve. Remember that the people on your team are the real heroes. While it’s your role as team leader to keep them motivated and on track, they’re the ones doing the real work. So whenever someone praises you or your company, be sure to point to the people who made it all happen—your team! If your team feels appreciated, they’ll keep up their good work.^{[6]
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- Taking credit for work that someone on your team did could really backfire and cause your team to lose respect for you.

7

Protect your team from criticism.

Don’t throw anybody on your team under the bus. One of the biggest parts of being a team leader is being willing and able to take the heat whenever someone is upset or critical of your team or your company. Take responsibility for any mistakes or problems and shield your team from outside criticism. They’ll appreciate you for it and may work harder to help prevent future problems or mistakes.^{[7]
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8

Avoid criticizing or gossiping about other people.

It’s a sign of immaturity and poor leadership. Mistakes happen and sometimes people can be unpleasant. But if you resort to gossip or judgment, your team will take notice. They may think that if you talk about other people that way, maybe you talk about them, too. In general, try to stay as positive in your role as team leader, and avoid negativity as much as you can.^{[8]
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- For instance, never talk about someone on your team behind their back. It isn’t nice and it could cause others to lose respect for you.

9

Set clear goals and expectations for your team.

Tell your team exactly what you want them to accomplish. Motivate and inspire your team by sharing your vision and the goals you hope to accomplish together with them. Help them understand the end goal that you’re all working toward so they feel like they’re really a valuable part of your team and they know exactly what they need to do. They’ll also be able to track their progress and identify whenever they successfully achieve something.^{[9]
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- For instance, if you run a team of sales representatives, you could set a goal of $10,000 USD in sales by the end of the month. That way, everyone knows what they’re working toward and will feel motivated to help the team achieve that goal.
- Your expectations can also include things like showing up to work on time, wearing appropriate work attire, and taking lunch breaks at set times.

10

Delegate work and avoid micromanaging.

Make sure everyone knows who is responsible for what. One of the keys to being a successful team leader is being able to delegate work to the individuals on your team. Describe the job you want them to do in detail so they know exactly what needs to be done. Make sure they have everything they need to do the job and set checkpoints so they can update you on their progress without feeling like you’re breathing down their neck.^{[10]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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- For instance, if you run a marketing team, you could assign graphics to one person, calls to clients to another person, and copywriting to another. You could then ask them to check in with you when they finish an assignment so you can review everything.
- Delegating tasks also gives your team a little independence to get the job done without feeling like you’re micromanaging them.

11

Assign tasks based on people’s skills and ability.

Take advantage of the individual strengths of the people on your team. A good leader doesn’t simply demand the people on their team to do jobs that they aren’t prepared to do. Whenever you’re spreading out the workload, try as best you can to give assignments and roles to people whose skills and strengths match with it. It’ll help your team perform better and they’ll appreciate that you respect and care about them.^{[11]
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- For instance, if your company just landed a new big account that involves lots of data entry and phone calls to new clients, you could divvy out the data entry work to folks who enjoy or are better at using computers and the phone calls to people on your team who like talking to other people.

12

Give your team members the opportunity to learn and grow.

Empowering your team to take on new challenges can help motivate them. With online tutorials, virtual courses, and in-person classes, there are likely a bunch of potential learning opportunities related to your team’s jobs. Show your employees that you believe in them by allowing them to take time to learn new skills or learn more about ones that they already have. If they ask about taking on more responsibility that you feel would be beneficial, let them go for it. The more you support your team, the more they’ll trust and support you.^{[12]
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- For instance, if someone on your team wants to take a course to learn how to use a program like Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Excel, and you think it could be a useful thing, allow them to do it.
- If someone wants to start a fun project like a secret Santa or gift exchange, let them go for it!

13

Stay positive whenever there’s a problem.

Find 3 positive things about a problem before you address the issue. It’s easy to immediately start thinking about all of the negative consequences of something that goes wrong. Take a moment to consider a few potential good things first. Then, identify some of the negative aspects of the problem. You may find that the more you look at the positives, the more people on your team will positively react and handle the problem.^{[13]
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- For instance, if your company loses a big account because a client has decided to stop using your services, you could think about positive things such as the fact that now your team can focus more on your other clients, you can work to find a new (maybe even better) client, and you now have a chance to figure out what made them stop using your services so you can be better in the future.

14

Focus on finding solutions to problems.

It’s important to be flexible to be a successful leader. Things are going to go wrong and mistakes are going to happen. It’s a part of life and a good team leader understands and anticipates it. Instead of getting upset or angry, stay optimistic and try to think outside of the box. Chances are there is a solution, you just need to be flexible and open-minded enough to find it.^{[14]
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Respected Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal
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- For example, if you have a member of your staff who’s sick and can’t make it in for your shift, think about how you can solve the problem instead of getting stressed out. You may be able to find someone to come in for them or divide their work evenly among everyone else so no one is overloaded, for instance.

15

Be Assertive and understanding

Your teammates will respect you when you understand their point of view and be assertive with your ideas. When problems come up inside the team, it's best to put your game face on and fix the solution. Being an assertive team leader is to stand up for yourself and other peoples ideas and points during working together. Not in a rude way, but calm, collective and passive style.
- For example, if two staff members are arguing about something, it's best to be understanding about both of their points and make a responsible compromise about their argument. They will both end out happier and you will be assertive and solve the problem.

Expert Q&A

Question

What is an effective leader?

Lauren Krasny
Leadership Coach
Lauren Krasny is a Leadership and Executive Coach and the Founder of Reignite Coaching, her professional and personal coaching service based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also currently coaches for the LEAD Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and is a former Digital Health Coach for Omada Health and Modern Health. Lauren received her coaching training from the Coach Training Institute (CTI). She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan.

Lauren Krasny

Leadership Coach

Expert Answer

An effective leader is enthusiastic. If you get excited, then your team is more likely to be excited about the project. If your team respects you and looks up to as a leader, your excitement and encouragement will foster creativity and a desire to perform well.
Question

How can I be a good team leader if I'm not comfortable with leadership?

Lauren Krasny
Leadership Coach
Lauren Krasny is a Leadership and Executive Coach and the Founder of Reignite Coaching, her professional and personal coaching service based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also currently coaches for the LEAD Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and is a former Digital Health Coach for Omada Health and Modern Health. Lauren received her coaching training from the Coach Training Institute (CTI). She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan.

Lauren Krasny

Leadership Coach

Expert Answer

It's important to be authentic. If you're trying to pretend like you're something you're not, people will see through it. The best way to get around limitations or discomfort is to just play to your strengths. If you aren't a good public speaker, break into small groups and speak to your teams in smaller settings. If you aren't good at presenting, delegate someone else to present. So long as you're authentic and you play to your strengths, you'll be fine.
Question

How do I control my anger as a team leader?

Community Answer

Don't speak while you're still angry. You can never take back hurtful words after you have said them. Try to put yourself in their situation to better understand them.