All great leaders know exactly what buttons to push and when to push them. They are experts at activating the talent that surrounds them. This skill is vital in building a successful team and appointing the right people to be in your winning team. Points to remember as a manager start with 'how you work'. As the leader of the team, you must be aware of your leadership style and techniques. Are you as good a manager as you think you are? The only way to tell is reflected in how effective your team is. Though you may be in charge, you should always evaluate yourself and be critical about where you can improve. If your method is not well received by those working for you, you may need to change your method, rather than those working for you. Fadi Sahyoun, zone procurement manager at Nestle - working between the United Arab Emirates and Thailand - believes in holding himself accountable to be able to lead from a position of strength and respectability. "Self-awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses is key, a.k.a 'the third eye' and inwardly looking in at yourself to monitor your performance. You can then turn to specific training to develop skills you need to make you a better at managing a team," he said. Emotional intelligence should not be overlooked in a team. You must make the time to get to know your team and encourage camaraderie. Caring, understanding the needs of your team and embracing differences are vitally important. "A good leader should be able to inspire and influence people to take action that they perceive as ultimately good for them. Official authority is not necessary, informal authority works just as well," Sahyoun continued. The real assets are those that each member brings to the table. The element of a successful team starts with clearly defining roles and responsibilities.
A manager needs to have a good eye for talent in order to evaluate people not only on their ability to play a particular role, but on how they can be used to the best of their capabilities in the system. "Starting by having a great vision for the team, and a common agreed goal to reach that makes each individual feel great about being part of the team before even starting the work is one of the best ways to create a successful team," said Sahyoun. "I believe the ability to convince and inspire the team of the ultimate goal and by relating its benefits to the them is a must," he added. Once expectations are laid out and the team has a clear goal in sight it's important to maintain momentum and mark each milestone reached; either individually or as a group. Garnering commitment from the team is vital as is making team members feel valued equally. For Sahyoun, it's important that arrogance does not enter the equation of a successful team. "Ensuring that at all times, all eyes are on the ball with no room for ego or power struggles is part of moving forward as a group with one common goal," said Sahyoun. Team members will be even more energized by the project if they find themselves valued by the organization and find themselves growing and developing their skills and career by participating in the team. Making new contacts and perhaps, finding new mentors who are committed to their growth are also plus-points. Part of your strategy to build a successful team should involve delegation and appointing the right job to the right people. Sahyoun agrees: "You delegate things to the best person that can do the job now, and to the one/s whose skills you want to develop by doing the job at hand." That way everybody wins. Effective interpersonal communication among members and successful communication with managers is also critical to the good functioning of the team. As the team leader it is your role to ensure positive exchanges amongst your staff and see to it that all team members are equal; every team member's opinion will be thoughtfully considered; and each team member will strive to meet deadlines for the successful outcome of the project.
