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The Secrets of Great Teamwork

  • Martine Haas
  • Mark Mortensen

teamwork and leadership skills essay

Over the years, as teams have grown more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic, collaboration has become more complex. But though teams face new challenges, their success still depends on a core set of fundamentals. As J. Richard Hackman, who began researching teams in the 1970s, discovered, what matters most isn’t the personalities or behavior of the team members; it’s whether a team has a compelling direction, a strong structure, and a supportive context. In their own research, Haas and Mortensen have found that teams need those three “enabling conditions” now more than ever. But their work also revealed that today’s teams are especially prone to two corrosive problems: “us versus them” thinking and incomplete information. Overcoming those pitfalls requires a new enabling condition: a shared mindset.

This article details what team leaders should do to establish the four foundations for success. For instance, to promote a shared mindset, leaders should foster a common identity and common understanding among team members, with techniques such as “structured unstructured time.” The authors also describe how to evaluate a team’s effectiveness, providing an assessment leaders can take to see what’s working and where there’s room for improvement.

Collaboration has become more complex, but success still depends on the fundamentals.

Idea in Brief

The problem.

Teams are more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic than ever before. These qualities make collaboration especially challenging.

The Analysis

Mixing new insights with a focus on the fundamentals of team effectiveness identified by organizational-behavior pioneer J. Richard Hackman, managers should work to establish the conditions that will enable teams to thrive.

The Solution

The right conditions are

  • a compelling direction
  • a strong structure
  • a supportive context, and
  • a shared mindset

Weaknesses in these areas make teams vulnerable to problems.

Today’s teams are different from the teams of the past: They’re far more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic (with frequent changes in membership). But while teams face new hurdles, their success still hinges on a core set of fundamentals for group collaboration.

  • Martine Haas is the Lauder Chair Professor of Management at the Wharton School and Director of the Lauder Institute for Management & International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a PhD from Harvard University. Her research focuses on collaboration and teamwork in global organizations.
  • Mark Mortensen is a professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and for over 20 years has studied and consulted on collaboration and organization design, with a focus on hybrid, virtual, and globally distributed work. Mark publishes regularly in Harvard Business Review , MIT Sloan Management Review , and INSEAD Knowledge, and is a regular fixture in popular press outlets like the BBC, the Economist , the Financial Times , and Fortune .

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teamwork and leadership skills essay

Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Kelli María Korducki

Contributing Writer

Dominic Price

Work Futurist

Dr. Mahreen Khan

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Kat Boogaard

Principal Writer

teamwork and leadership skills essay

The importance of teamwork (as proven by science)

Healthy teams enjoy benefits that go far beyond the company’s bottom line.

Tracy Middleton

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5-second summary

  • Research shows that collaborative problem-solving leads to better outcomes.
  • People are more likely to take calculated risks that lead to innovation if they have the support of a team behind them.
  • Working in a team encourages personal growth, increases job satisfaction, and reduces stress.

Anyone who thought the rise of distributed work would be the downfall of teamwork has probably changed their tune by now. The truth is, teamwork is more important than ever.

“The use of teams and collaboration expectations have been consistently rising,” says Dr. Scott Tannenbaum , a researcher and president of the Group for Organizational Effectiveness. “And when I say teams, I’m talking about all types of teams, whether it’s stable work teams [or] teams that now, in the current environment, are operating virtually.”

Teamwork is essential to a company’s success, says John J. Murphy, author of Pulling Together: 10 Rules for High-Performance Teamwork . “Each individual has unique gifts, and talents and skills. When we bring them to the table and share them for a common purpose, it can give companies a real competitive advantage.”

But here’s the real magic of teamwork: when done right, it has benefits that go far beyond boosting the company’s bottom line. (Learn about some classic models that can lead to stronger teamwork here .)

10 benefits of teamwork

1. teamwork enables better problem solving.

How to avoid groupthink on your team

How to avoid groupthink on your team

Albert Einstein gets all the credit for discovering the theory of relativity, but the truth is that he relied on conversations with friends and colleagues to refine his concept. And that’s almost always the case.

“Behind every genius is a team,” says Murphy. “When people play off each other’s skills and knowledge, they can create solutions that are practical and useful.”

Science reinforces the idea that many brains are better than one. “We found that groups of size three, four, and five outperformed the best individuals,” says Dr. Patrick Laughlin a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “[We] attribute this performance to the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information.”

Not everyone processes information in the same way. Some people like to jump into problem-solving mode immediately, while others prefer time to gather their thoughts and consider multiple options before making a contribution. Asking people to provide input asynchronously allows everyone the space to work in a way that’s comfortable for them.

2. Teamwork unlocks potential for innovation

According to Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect , some of the most innovative ideas happen at “the intersection” – the place where ideas from different industries and cultures collide.

“Most people think success comes from surrounding yourself with others that are like you,” says Johansson. “But true success and breakthrough innovation involves discomfort. Discomfort pushes you to grow. This is where difference of experience, opinion, and perspective come in. Diversity is a well-documented pathway to unlocking new opportunities, overcoming new challenges, and gaining new insights.”

Master these 7 essential skills to level-up your teamwork game

Master these 7 essential skills to level-up your teamwork game

A recent report from the consulting firm McKinsey & Company backs this up. It found teams made up of members from diverse backgrounds (gender, age, ethnicity, etc.) are more creative and perform better by up to 35 percent, compared to more homogeneous teams. Instead of looking at an issue from your individual vantage point, you get a 360-degree picture, which can lead to an exponential increase in ideas.

Research from Tufts University suggests that just being exposed to diversity can shift the way you think. A study on a diverse mock jury found that interacting with individuals who are different forces people to be more open minded, and to expect that reaching consensus will take effort.

3. Teamwork makes for happier employees

As part of our ongoing research on teamwork, we surveyed more than 1,000 team members across a range of industries and found that when honest feedback, mutual respect, and personal openness were encouraged, team members were 80 percent more likely to report higher emotional well-being.

Having happy employees is a worthwhile goal in itself, but the company benefits, too. Research from the University of Warwick in England suggests happy employees are up to 20 percent more productive than unhappy employees. And who couldn’t benefit from a happiness boost?

4. Teamwork enhances personal growth

Being part of a team can help you grow. “By sharing information and essentially cross-training each other, each individual member of the team can flourish,” says Murphy. You might discover new concepts from colleagues with different experiences. You can also learn from someone else’s mistakes, which helps you sidestep future errors.

You might even learn something new about yourself, says Dr. Susan McDaniel, a psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and one of the guest editors of America Psychologist’s special edition on “ The Science of Teamwork .”

“We all have blind spots about our behaviors and strengths that we may be unaware of, and feedback from a team member can expose them,” she says. Recognizing these strengths and addressing the weaknesses can make you a better team member, and even a better person. “Maybe working in a team you’ll discover you could be a better listener. That’s a skill you can grow in, and then take home and use to improve your family interactions,” McDaniel points out.

5. Teamwork lowers the risk of burnout

6 ways to bounce back from burnout

6 ways to bounce back from burnout

A Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees found that 23 percent of employees feel burned out at work very often or always. Another 44 percent say they sometimes feel this way. What helps? Sharing the load.

Team members can provide emotional support to each other because they often understand the demands and stress of completing work even better than managers, says Ben Wigert, lead researcher for Gallup’s workplace management practice.

And managers are not off the hook! The study also found that knowing your boss has your back protects against burnout too.

6. Teamwork gives opportunities for growth

Collaboration in the workplace isn’t unlike teamwork on the baseball diamond. When the pitcher and outfielders each excel at their individual roles, the team has a better chance of winning.

Off the playing field, that idea is more important than ever. Changes in technology and increased globalization mean that organizations are facing problems so complex that a single individual simply can’t possess all the necessary knowledge to solve them, says Wigert. When team members use their unique skills to shine in their own roles, it creates an environment based on mutual respect and cooperation that benefits the whole group, notes Murphy.

7. Teamwork boosts productivity

Getting a pat on the back from the boss can boost an employee’s motivation, but receiving kudos from a team member may be even more effective.

The TINYpulse Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Report surveyed more than 200,000 employees. Participants reported that having the respect of their peers was the #1 reason they go the extra mile at work.

8. Teamwork allows for smarter risk-taking

When you work alone, you might be hesitant to put your neck on the line. When you work on a team, you know you have the support of the entire group to fall back on in case of failure. That security typically allows teams to take the kind of risks that create “Eureka!” ideas.

But here’s one place where size does matter. The most disruptive ideas often come from small teams, suggests recent research in the journal Nature , possibly because larger teams argue more, which can get in the way of coming up with those big ideas.

Wharton Business School researchers also discovered that small is the secret to success: they found that two-person teams took 36 minutes to build a Lego figure while four-person teams took 52 minutes to finish — more than 44 percent longer.

There’s no definitive ideal small team size, but consider following Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ two-pizza rule : no matter how large your company gets, teams shouldn’t be larger than what two pizzas can feed.

9. Teamwork yields fewer mistakes

If your team has good energy – you encourage and inspire each other, and you have fun together – you’ll feel less stressed, says Murphy. “Studies show that stress makes us stupid, and leads us to make more mistakes,” says Murphy.

Of course, the converse is also true: when your team feels less frazzled, you’ll make fewer errors. That’s worth keeping in mind, especially if you’re one of the 61 percent of workers who cite work as a significant source of stress .

10. Teamwork sparks creativity

Stale solutions often come out of working in a vacuum. When people with different perspectives come together in group brainstorms, on the other hand, innovative ideas can rise to the surface – with one caveat. Research shows this can only happen when communication within the team is open and collaborative, notes Wigert. The most creative solutions can only come up when there’s a level of trust that lets team members ask ‘stupid’ questions, propose out-there ideas, and receive constructive criticism.  

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16 teamwork leadership skills to inspire collaboration

16 teamwork leadership skills to inspire collaboration

Learn how developing your team into leaders can improve teamwork—and the skills managers and individuals need to be better team players.

Table of Contents

Picture this: a group of young Cub Scouts eagerly embarking on their wilderness adventures. In the eyes of these budding leaders, every hike through the woods, every campfire cooking session, and every knot-tying challenge isn't just an outdoor escapade—it's a lesson in leadership waiting to be learned.

A young Cub Scout leader inspires other scouts to be leaders through teamwork, camaraderie, and bravery. In the same way, great business managers can also nurture the leader within individuals on their team, and improve their ability to work together. 

Strong leadership inspires a sense of trust and belonging among team members, which results in better teamwork. But you don’t need to be a manager to be a great leader—in fact, leadership skills like problem-solving and relationship-building can make anyone a better team player. 

Leaders of highly collaborative teams need to learn and practice leadership skills. They also need to empower their team members to practice those skills. 

In this piece, you'll learn key leadership skills for managers as well as teamwork and leadership skills you can teach to benefit the entire team. We'll also dive into how a visual collaboration platform like Switchboard can help strengthen these skills, and make teamwork the best part of work. 

Want a team of leaders who love working together?  Switchboard lets you bring out the leader in everyone by creating a space where people can learn to collaborate and develop skills.   Learn more . 

Leadership skills for team managers

Cub Scout leaders keep earning badges to sharpen their survival and leadership skills. In a similar way, strong managers should always be honing their leadership skills to improve and work better with their team. 

Below, we dive into the top leadership skills for team managers, so you can keep people engaged and motivated to be team players. 

1. Communicating clearly

"When your team has clarity, they feel psychologically safe and can perform at their best," says executive career coach Tarah Keech . This means you need to have communication guidelines and expectations in place so everyone knows where and how to communicate, and how often.

Keech also explains that a lack of trust often comes from a lack of clarity or clear communication, "bringing a lack of predictability about what people can expect will happen next with their team or with themselves and their own role." This can make people feel unstable in the company and less engaged with their team. Communicating clearly can bring people together and help keep everyone on track.

To communicate effectively, make sure you practice active listening. This means fully concentrating on a speaker. The aim is to understand their message, foster open communication, and build rapport. If in doubt, over communicate. But stick to the communication channels outlined in your communication guidelines. 

2. Having empathy

Empathetic leadership inspires positive change in the workplace, increases mutual respect between employees and leaders, and improves productivity. Since leaders are also typically responsible for setting the tone for the team and company culture, having empathy also improves employee retention . 

Remember that empathy starts with being empathetic and kind to yourself. Acknowledge your own feelings and treat yourself with the same compassion you extend to others. Be sure to also put yourself in other people's shoes and let them know you understand and care about their feelings. Don't forget about active listening, either. Use phrases like "That must have been very difficult for you" or "I'm here for you if you want to talk."

Then make a conscious effort to practice empathy in your daily interactions. This could be with family members, coworkers, or even strangers you encounter throughout the day.

3. Learning to delegate and trust 

Part of creating a culture built on teamwork is learning how to trust your team to do their jobs. This means learning how to delegate work and avoiding micromanaging your people. 

Something to keep in mind is to delegate authority, not just tasks. You want to empower your team members to make decisions within their delegated responsibilities. Practice being hands-off and allowing people to work independently and take decisions. This will help you learn to trust their judgment and avoid micromanaging.  

4. Building a sense of belonging 

“​​You can't create belonging when you feel like you don't belong.” says Keech. This means that you need to work on this before you can build a sense of belonging on your team.  

"If you do feel [like you belong] and you want to amplify it for your team members, make sure that your thoughts are, to use a coaching term, ‘clean’ about that particular employee. Do you feel like they belong? Do you feel like they understand their value? Do you feel like they understand how they see themselves in the larger organization?”  - Tarah Keech, executive career coach. 

Doing this helps you understand how to include your team and create a welcoming environment. Then, based on your findings, create opportunities for active participation and involvement. Encourage everyone to contribute their ideas, feedback, and talents.

Pro tip: Switchboard is your single source of truth where everyone can find who and what they're looking for: Be it a project file, meeting recording, or spontaneous interaction. This makes it easy to build a sense of belonging and always feel at home in your work.

Persistent room in Switchboard during a meeting, displaying design review files

5. Understanding your team’s personality types

Being aware of the nuances of your team, including understanding different personalities and ways of working, can contribute to more resilient teams that perform better.

By recognizing and appreciating the diverse personality traits within your team, you can leverage their strengths, address potential conflicts, and create a more harmonious work environment. 

You can do this by engaging in team-building activities and administering personality assessments like DISC , 16 Types , or Big 5 (OCEAN) . Once you understand your personality types and strengths, it's important to adjust communication styles based on individual preferences. For example, some may prefer direct and concise communication, while others may appreciate more detailed explanations. 

Since teamwork improves productivity , you need to make sure everyone feels safe to contribute. This can also help you tailor team-building activities and meetings to different people: Introverted team members may prefer smaller, more focused activities, while extroverts may thrive in larger, social gatherings. Knowing what people like and respond to can help drive team trust, as well as a willingness to collaborate. 

6. Being available while setting boundaries

Making it known you’re available to offer help when needed can instill confidence in people’s members’ ability to make decisions and be better team members. 

That said, keep boundaries clear on when you expect your team to make judgment calls on their own, and when to ask team members for support. Also, demonstrate your commitment to work-life balance by sticking to the boundaries you set. For instance, don’t log on to Slack while you’re on vacation, which helps encourage your team members to do the same.

7. Coaching and mentoring

Leaders can enhance their coaching and mentoring skills by seeking out mentorship themselves and learning from experienced coaches. 

You can also actively engage in developing your team members' skills by providing constructive feedback, offering learning opportunities, and creating a culture of continuous growth.

8. Storytelling

Use storytelling to make training and daily work more engaging. According to Keech, “Humans are wired to learn from stories which are shared by other humans.” 

For example, imagine you're leading a product development team tasked with creating a new mobile app for travelers. Instead of just presenting a list of features and tasks, you can use storytelling to engage and inspire your team. For example, by telling the story of a user stuck in a busy airport, stressed out, and desperately looking for a way to make their travel experience smoother.” You can go on to introduce characters in the story, their pain points, and frustrations, like long security lines, confusing flight information, and feeling disconnected from their loved ones during travel.

By using storytelling in this way, you not only make the work more engaging but also provide a clear sense of purpose and motivation. Your team members can become emotionally invested in the project, inspired by the chance to come up with a solution that will make travelers' lives better.

9. Visionary thinking

The ability to think strategically, envision future possibilities, and set clear goals and objectives for the team or organization helps rally everyone behind a shared purpose. 

You can cultivate visionary thinking by regularly setting aside time for reflection and strategic planning. Your team can also study industry trends, explore emerging technologies, and engage in foresight exercises to expand their thinking and develop a clear vision for the future. Then, get everyone together in your persistent Switchboard room to visually display and share information. This will help inspire people and bring ideas to life. 

10. Decision-making

To improve decision-making skills, you can practice making decisions based on available information and analyzing the potential outcomes . You can also seek diverse perspectives, consult with experts, and learn from past experiences to make more informed choices.

Along the way, you should involve people in meetings and discussions to help you reach informed decisions. When you’re using Switchboard, you can get all those cross-functional roles together in one room and open up all the apps, documents, and files they need to share with you.

Teamwork and leadership skills that can benefit your team 

Research shows that teams are more effective than individuals at solving complex or difficult tasks. By empowering your people with the leadership skills to take charge of their output and progress, you can also improve your ability to work together as a team. 

Here are teamwork and leadership skills you can use to improve team performance and dynamics.  

1. Taking responsibility

Leaders can foster accountability by setting clear goals and expectations, regularly monitoring progress, and providing constructive feedback. They can lead by example and hold themselves accountable for their actions and decisions, creating a culture where everyone takes ownership of their responsibilities.

Task prioritization is also a vital skill. When you prioritize effectively, your team can take ownership of their work and work more efficiently, which helps foster accountability – to each other and themselves. 

2. Building strong working relationships

Strong teams are built on trust: If you find yourself lacking trust in your leadership skills or team, start by addressing the risks, hesitancy, or insecurities that it might be coming from. 

"If you don't trust your employees to get [something] done to your standards or on time, how can you help that employee understand your expectations? [And how can you] ensure that they understand it, confirm that they understand it, and then give them the tools they need?" Tarah Keech, executive career coach. 

Teams can work better together and take risks in a smart way if they trust each other. To build trust, and stronger working relationships, team-building games like virtual scavenger hunts or trivia quizzes are a great way to get people talking and forming connections. You can also create opportunities for cross-functional teamwork by involving more teams in upcoming projects or company-wide challenges.

Pro tip: Use Switchboard to set up a persistent room for team-building exercises and games. In your dedicated room, you can add browser-based virtual engagement games like virtual escape rooms, or use Switchboard's icebreaker question app. This helps build trust by sharing more experiences with your team members and getting to know each other better.

Setting up a virtual games room in Switchboard

3. Asking the right questions

Teams need to be empowered to find the information they need. This includes making sure everyone feels comfortable asking questions, asking the right questions, and asking them of the right people.  

As a leader, it's important to emphasize that asking questions is a sign of curiosity, critical thinking, and a desire to learn and improve. Start by encouraging team members to research and prepare questions in advance of meetings or discussions to ensure they address key points and concerns effectively.

Then, teach your team to ask clarifying questions when they encounter information or instructions that are unclear. But make sure active listening comes before asking questions. Your people should listen attentively to others' perspectives and concerns to ask relevant and thoughtful questions.

4. Problem solving

Studies show that people with problem-solving skills are more likely to think analytically and creatively. They also trust their ability to make decisions and overcome challenges at work. 

You can develop problem-solving skills individually and as a team by actively engaging in problem-solving exercises. These can include role play scenarios, jigsaw puzzle challenges, or riddles and logic puzzles. Encourage team members to contribute ideas and brainstorm solutions collaboratively, fostering a creative problem-solving environment.

To do this, you need to give your team the right tools. Team collaboration tools like Switchboard let you organize all the apps and tools you use into meeting and project rooms—and make everything instantly multiplayer. This means you can work on problem-solving exercises side-by-side, which can improve trust and the quality of your working relationships. 

Switchboard persistent room with documents, browser-based apps, and tools

5. Being adaptable 

Leaders can foster adaptability by embracing change themselves and encouraging their team members to do the same. 

For example, to better accommodate your growing team, you might decide to change your project management workflow to make better use of resources and allow you to get more done. You can embrace this change by openly communicating about it with your team, encouraging them to ask questions and come up with solutions. 

You can also seek new challenges, take on different roles, and encourage experimentation and learning from failures to build resilience and adaptability.

6. Resolving conflicts

Effective conflict resolution can help create more unified teams that know how to handle obstacles and overcome them, together. 

Team members can develop conflict resolution skills by actively seeking to understand different perspectives and engaging in open and respectful dialogue. They can practice finding common ground, focusing on shared goals, and exploring win-win solutions to resolve conflicts.

Teamwork leadership skills: Enable the leader in everyone 

The Cub Scouts remind us that leadership is not confined to titles; it's a collective effort that thrives when everyone plays their part in promoting unity and achieving shared goals. And the same can be said for business leaders and teams. 

Great leadership inspires a sense of belonging and trust among your team, which results in better collaboration. But you don’t need to be a manager to be a great leader—in fact, learning leadership skills can make anyone a better team player. Leaders of highly collaborative teams need to learn and practice leadership skills—and enable their team members to practice them too.

Managers can focus on skills like empathy, coaching, mentoring, and taking responsibility to improve teamwork. It’s also important to help your teams learn problem solving, conflict resolution, and building strong working relationships.

When you empower your team with Switchboard, you get a multiplayer experience where everyone can take the lead in moving meetings and projects forward—and be better team players. 

Frequently asked questions about teamwork leadership skills

Why is teamwork a good leadership skill.

Teamwork is a good leadership skill because to be an effective leader you need to know how to work with a range of people: including their skills, perspectives, and personalities. This means having a leadership style that prioritizes communication skills, emotional intelligence, and delegating tasks.

What are the benefits of being a team leader?

There are many benefits to being a team leader, the most important one being leading a group of people toward a common goal and using effective teamwork to make it happen. 

Where can you learn more about teamwork skills?

Effective leadership will help their team improve their leadership skills, including their decision-making process, management skills, and workflows. This means providing the right tools and resources to build their skill sets and experience what it means to be a great team.

teamwork and leadership skills essay

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Essay on Leadership And Teamwork

Students are often asked to write an essay on Leadership And Teamwork in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Leadership And Teamwork

What is leadership.

Leadership is like being the captain of a ship. The leader guides everyone to work together towards a goal. A good leader is someone who cares for the team, helps everyone do their best, and makes sure everyone feels important. They are not bossy but help solve problems and make decisions that are good for everyone.

What is Teamwork?

Teamwork is when a group of people work together, like players on a soccer team passing the ball. Each person has a special job, and they must all cooperate to win the game. Good teamwork means sharing ideas, listening to others, and helping each other out.

Leadership in Teams

A leader in a team is like the coach of the soccer team. They help the team understand the plan and encourage them to work hard. The leader also praises the team when they do well and helps them learn from mistakes. This makes the team stronger and better at working together.

Teamwork and Success

When a team works well together, they can achieve big things. Like a puzzle, every piece is needed to complete the picture. Teamwork makes sure everyone’s skills are used, and no one is left out. When everyone does their part, the team can reach its goals and be successful.

250 Words Essay on Leadership And Teamwork

Leadership is like being the captain of a ship. The captain must guide the ship and crew safely through storms and calm seas. A good leader does the same with a team. They show the way, make smart choices, and help everyone work together. They are not bosses who order people around. Instead, they are role models who inspire their team to do their best.

Teamwork Makes Dreams Work

Teamwork is when a group of people work together, like players on a soccer team passing the ball to score a goal. Each person has a special role, but they all share the same aim: to win the game. In teamwork, sharing ideas and helping each other is very important. When one person is stuck, another can help. This is how teams solve problems faster and better than one person alone.

Leadership in Teamwork

In a team, the leader is the one who cheers everyone on and keeps them focused on the goal. They make sure that every team member knows what to do and feels important. A true leader also listens to the team’s ideas and feelings. This makes the team strong because when people are heard and respected, they work harder and happier.

Leadership and teamwork are like peanut butter and jelly – they are best when together. A leader without a team has no one to lead, and a team without a leader may not know where to go. But when they work together, they can achieve amazing things, just like a ship reaching new lands with a brave captain and a strong crew.

500 Words Essay on Leadership And Teamwork

Leadership is like being the captain of a ship. Just like a captain guides a ship through the sea, a leader guides a team to reach its goals. A good leader is someone who can show others the way, make smart choices, and help everyone work together. They don’t only tell people what to do, but they also join in and help get the job done. They are like a coach in a sports team, always encouraging players to do their best.

The Power of Teamwork

Teamwork is when a group of people come together to do something. Think of it like a soccer team where everyone has a position to play. If one person tries to do everything, the team won’t win. But if everyone plays their part, they can achieve great things. Teamwork is sharing ideas, helping each other, and working for a common goal. It’s like building a tower with blocks; if everyone adds their block, the tower grows tall and strong.

Leaders Bring Teams Together

A good leader knows how to bring people together. They understand that each person on the team has something special to offer. It’s like making a big fruit salad; you need different fruits to make it tasty. Leaders make sure everyone knows what they should do and how important their job is for the team’s success. They are like the glue that holds the team together.

Communication is Key

Talking and listening are super important in leadership and teamwork. Leaders need to be clear when they give instructions so that everyone knows what to do. They also need to listen to their team’s ideas and problems. It’s like when friends talk to each other to plan a game; they need to listen and share ideas to make it fun for everyone.

Problem Solving Together

Sometimes teams face problems, like a puzzle that’s hard to solve. A good leader helps the team to stay calm and think of ways to fix the problem. They know that two heads are better than one, which means that working together can help find the best solution. It’s like when you’re stuck in a video game; sometimes you need a friend to help you find the way out.

Respect and Trust

Respect and trust are like the roots of a tree that keep it standing. Leaders must respect their team and earn their trust. This means treating everyone fairly and keeping promises. When a team trusts their leader, they feel safe and work better together.

Learning from Mistakes

Nobody is perfect, and mistakes happen. A good leader doesn’t get mad about mistakes. Instead, they help the team learn from them. It’s like when you fall off your bike; you get back up and try again, and you learn how to ride better.

Leadership and teamwork are like peanut butter and jelly; they are best when they go together. A leader without a team is like a captain without a ship, and a team without a leader can be lost at sea. Together, they can sail to success, making sure everyone is happy and doing their best. So, whether you’re leading a group project or playing a team sport, remember that being a good leader and working as a team can help you achieve amazing things.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Teamwork And Leadership Essays Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Leadership , Theory , Politics , Workplace , Challenges , Team , Teamwork , Employee

Words: 1800

Published: 02/25/2020

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Teamwork is a double-edged sword; if an efficient and well-functioning team leads to faster and effective work, a dysfunctional team can produce worst results. This essay has been divided into two parts with sub-sections in the second part. The first part relates to my personal experiences and the second part highlights the theoretical concepts related to leadership, teamwork, motivation and other such factors that are important for an organization. The essay also provides a brief overview on how these concepts can be applied to solve the existing challenges in the company.

My Personal Experiences

I remember working with a telecom company as a team lead around 5 years back. That, I can say, was one among the worst experiences in my tenure till now. Internal conflicts and communication lags didn't even allow the timely delivery of the project. The retrospection revealed some of the factors that had substantially contributed to the team failure. First of all, team members could not rise above their individualistic perceptions to fulfill the collective goals. Instead on contributing as a team member, emphasis remained shifted on taking personal credit. This behavior spoiled the very purpose of the team. Secondly, the leadership did not prove effective. As I feel, there remained a communication gap among team members leading to lack of knowledge transfer and proper coordination. In addition, slow decision-making, blame game, and lack of team- working skills among members contributed to the failure. On a positive note, I have also got the opportunity to work with an efficient team that produced outstanding results in the given time-frame. Just a couple of years back when I was working in a global Hi-Tech company, I had an excellent time working with the team. Our goal was to increase the sales of a newly launched product in one year and we promoted it so well that sales amplified more than expected. Coordination among members was outstanding and results were excellent. This time we also had a grievance redressal mechanism to solve the issue arising out of cultural and other differences among team members. It helped the members focus on team goals rather than piling up complaints inside. In addition, small targets and feedback plan, participative leadership, and open communication were among other major factors that contributed to the team success. These personal experiences reveal that team functioning depends on various factors including leadership, employees' motivation, sense of adaption and collective focus on goals. Next part of the essay will elaborate on various aspects of team functioning that will serve as the foundation of knowledge to solve the work-related challenges.

Theoretical Framework and Analysis

Leadership is an important aspect of team functioning because only an effective leader can keep the spirit going. Locke defines leadership as a process that encourages others to act for the fulfillment of common goals. Leigh and Maynard have defined two types of leadership: inspirational and enabling. Enabling leaders are facilitators, motivators and supporters. In contrast, inspirational leaders adopt less prescribed behaviors such as integrity, initiative and likeability. In fact, leadership is an evolving concept in the sense that the traits of successful leaders keep changing with the changing business environment. As such, different theories have been put forward suggesting different leadership styles. Traits theory, popularized in late 20th century, assumes some pre-determined aspects of good leadership including courage, extraversion and confidence and link these with successful leaders. Contingency or situational theories have stated that there is nothing like the best leadership style. Different styles should be adopted in different situations. More importantly, the leadership styles are also dependent upon the level of those being led. In contrast to traits theories, the behavioral approach believes that good leaders are not born; they are made. Rather than focusing on the mindsets of leaders, the theory focuses on their actions. In the similar box, there are relationship theories or transformational theories that focus on team performance by motivating the members. Transformational leaders are considered an agents of change, not confined by immediate results but emphasizing on improved effectiveness and performance. Management theories, also called transactional theories, emphasize upon the organization, planning, supervision and group performance. Based on the system of rewards and punishments, this theory advocates a sort of transaction between the followers and the leader. It means that employees are rewarded on good work and punished for low performance. Participative theories, suggest that an ideal leader should increase the participation of members in decision-making. This leadership style is usually linked with increased employees' motivation as employees get the greater say in working of the organization. A close analysis reflects that there are merits and weaknesses associated with each of these. Traits theory seems to be out dated in the present day competitive business environment. Ignoring the role of training and development, this theory focuses more on the inherited traits which may lead to subjective interpretation among different leaders. Situational theory is correct in saying that leadership style should be adopted as per the situation but critics have asserted that it becomes useless in the 'realities of constant change'. Likewise, participation is crucial because it depends on the skills of members. If members are not proficient enough to take part in decision-making, their participation may lead to failures. Simply put, selecting a wrong leadership style may prove detrimental to the team's success. Actually, it depends on various factors including the ability and maturity level of a team that what style will suit it. As Bruce Tuckman has stated, different leadership styles can be adopted at different levels of the team's maturity. For instance, the stage one ( forming) is the initial stage when a team requires good direction from the leader. So, directive or authoritative style can suit more than the participation here( Telling@ Situational leadership). In second stage( Storming), the team is at the level of establishing and there may be power struggles and lack of clarities. So, leader can initiate two-way communication while providing the directions at the same time( Selling@ Situational leadership). Participative style can be adopted at the third level when roles are clear along with the capabilities of individuals. Finally, the last stage may adopt delegation because team has a shared vision and can continue on its own without the leader's interference. So, the leader can delegate tasks to members and may restrict his/her role to supervision. Clearly, keeping up the morale of employees is the pre-requisite for team's success. For this to happen, leadership style can be adopted keeping in mind the four stage model put forward by the Tuckman. This model is also in the conformity to the situational theories and states that leadership style should be flexible enough to accommodate changing business scenarios.

The Importance of Internal Environmental Factors

As has been witnessed in the organization, teams are ineffective because of internal crisis including cultural and communication differences. These factors are so crucial to the success that no team can afford to function smoothly if there is lack of compatibility on part of these aspects. Embracing cultural diversity promotes effective teamwork by promoting creativity and innovation. In contrast, problem solving becomes difficult in groups or teams that don't accept the cultural differences among team members. It may lead to lack of motivation and work productivity among employees. Likewise, effective communication is also the pre-requisite for team success. The primary merit is that employees can share their opinions with fellows leading to venting out of undesirable feelings. Lack of communication may crop up misunderstandings and hamper work quality. The best way to embrace the diversity is adopting the best possible solution without the discrimination on the basis of language, culture, caste, race and nationality. Technological challenges, also one among the major internal factors, often pop up leading to diverse views. At times, members may not be interested in adapting technical changes, at times they may not have the necessary skills. Whatever be the reasons, technological challenges are detrimental to employees' morale; therefore careful handling of these issues is crucial. The effective way is knowledge transfer, training sessions and peer discussions. Simply put, internal factors are as important to business as external factors. In fact, internal aspects affect the employees motivation more that the external conditions. This is the reason different theories related to employees' morale have accounted for one or more such factors. For a company suffering from the internal crisis, it is more than necessary to adopt neutrality as far as culture is concerned. For technological and other differences, open discussions and training sessions can help substantially.

Steps to Overcome the Identified Challenges

Major challenges in the organization are: lack of employee motivation, lack of team spirit and ineffective teamwork. The problem lies more at the level of leadership than on the part of employees. The first step to overcome these challenges is to change the leadership style suiting to the different levels of teams maturity as has been suggested by Tuckman. The second step is to make policies for to keep up the morale of employees by understanding their requirements. Leaders must know the potentials and shortcomings of their team and give the maximum possible chance to members to prove themselves. There are several ways to boost up motivation level like flexible work timings, linkage of business strategies with rewards and punishments, open-door policy and surprised appraisals. A combination of different ways can be used to lift up the dwindling morale. Last but not the least, there should be a platform where employees can share their grievances with no hitch. It will help out in getting solutions rather than piling up of anger and ruining the productivity.

Teamwork and leadership are closely intertwined as effective team functioning requires an effective leadership. There are different leadership theories and approaches that can be applied according to the different situations existing in an organization. However, the strategies should be flexible enough to accommodate the ongoing trends in Human Resource Management.

Works Cited

D' Almeida, Cairo. The Effects of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace. Michigan: ProQuest, 2007. Halverson, Claire B. Effective Multicultural Teams: Theory and Practice. Springer, 2008. Leigh, Andrew and Michael Maynard. Leading Your Team. Nicholas Brealey, 2002. Lussier, Robert N and Christopher. Leadership: Theory, Application and Skill Development. Boulevard: Cengage, 2009. Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE, 2012. Saddler, Philip. Leadership. London: Kogan Page, 2003.

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Project management

Leadership and teamwork: 10 ways leaders can help their teams

Ben Brigden - Senior Content Marketing Specialist - Author

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.”

— Chris Hadfield, astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station*  

What makes a great leader?

When Chris Hadfield was commanding the International Space Station, he learned that it’s not about seeking out individual greatness to make yourself look good. 

Instead, he found that excellent leadership is about building up the people around you: trusting them, empowering them, and ultimately, enabling them to contribute their expertise so that the team can become more than the sum of its parts. 

In other words, effective leadership and cultivating a culture of effective teamwork go hand in hand.

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The importance of teamwork and leadership

Why are teamwork and leadership important? Together they provide clarity for your team and directly impact your company vision.

But what do those outcomes look like in practice? And more importantly, what actions can you take every day to help your team succeed?

Today we’re looking at the top characteristics of a good leader, followed by 10 ways you can help your team work together better and more cohesively.

Characteristics of a good leader

Cultivating an environment of teamwork starts by building trust and rapport; by being the kind of leader that teams want to follow. The best leaders share the following characteristics — no matter their leadership style or personality.

Strong communicator

Being a leader is inherently about people. Yes, there are KPIs and products to deliver, but you don’t lead KPIs: You lead people.

With that in mind, perhaps no characteristic is as valuable to a leader as effective communication skills. Every single day, you’ll be communicating: to motivate, instruct, correct, and a hundred other things.

If you’re a positional leader (or leading from a non-leadership role ) who lacks confidence in this area, consider investing in training or practices that will help you improve and gain confidence.

Emotional intelligence (EQ)

Speaking of working with people: Leaders must be able to understand and adjust to the emotions of others, including nonverbal and contextual signals. Great leaders go beyond merely identifying emotions in others — they have the soft skills to help others manage their way through strong emotional responses and to push teams and individuals toward the right outcomes.

This is emotional intelligence, or EQ — a crucial skill for anyone who works with others, especially leaders , and it’s essential when leading a team through the five stages of team development . You’ll use these skills throughout, most of all in the “storming” stage.

Strong leaders also tend to demonstrate strong analytical skills. An analytical leader can take stock of a situation, consider possible paths and likely outcomes, and chart the course most likely to succeed. This skill set provides value no matter your role, and it becomes increasingly valuable the more authority a person has.

10 ways leaders can help manage their teams

Beyond these characteristics or traits of effective leaders, every leader can take actionable steps to lead teams better and encourage greater teamwork. Consider implementing one or more of these 10 ideas over the course of the next week.

1) Foster open and honest communication

Create an environment where openness and honesty in all aspects of communication are encouraged. Ask people to share their views and talk about the obstacles in their way. Ask for (and listen to) feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask questions yourself. (Here are five you should add to your regular practice, in fact.) Most of all, ensure your team members have a clear path to your door if they need it.

Related: Try these 5 quick wins to make your team more transparent.

Helpful communication tools

Slack or Teams: Channel-based open asynchronous communication and business chat

Teamwork.com: A project management platform that helps teams understand and communicate about work and workflows

2) Create collaborative goals

At the outset, goals should be clearly set and defined. Getting this right at the start may take a little extra time and planning, but it pays major dividends. For the best outcomes:

The team needs to buy into the goals (so plan them together).

Everyone involved needs to be aligned on what success looks like (so outline detailed KPIs right at the beginning).

Leaders need to acknowledge and support the team throughout the process (so check in frequently and offer guidance where needed).

Related: Set your goals the right way with this cheat sheet , or read our ebook .

The importance of KPIs and OKRs

As you go about goal-setting with your teams, it helps to place those goals in a framework and base them on real metrics and data. OKRs (objectives and key results) provide that framework, while tracking the appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) gives you the metrics and data for what your team is currently accomplishing.

OKRs are by nature collaborative, which fosters team involvement and increases buy-in. They also define success well: The key results lead toward the objective or act as milestones along the way.

3) Celebrate their success

Good job, team! Never forget to laud good team efforts, ideas, or targets met. Share your team’s successes with the company at large and champion them to leadership. You can even organize a lunch or dinner for big wins where every team member can share the achievement. However you choose to mark the moment, do it together.

Related: How to express gratitude to your team

Fun ways to celebrate successes

Celebrate a successful project with an outing (on the company).

Distributed or virtual teams can’t go out, but they can enjoy activities such as a virtual escape room.

Use digital recognition or praise tools (such as in Microsoft Teams).

Recognize outstanding contributors with a tangible award (badge, trophy, etc.) — get creative here by creating a “trophy” that’s both meaningful and lighthearted.

For smaller successes with in-house teams, food is always an option.

4) Allow team members to problem solve

Instead of imposing solutions, encourage team members to brainstorm and develop their own suggestions. By giving your team space (physical, metaphorical, or even virtual with Teamwork Spaces ) to find the right solution and propose their ideas, you can empower them to think creatively, develop their confidence, and foster a sense of ownership.

Related: 6 ways to better manage high-performance teams

Helpful problem-solving tips

Before anyone starts problem-solving, be sure they can accurately restate the problem.

Listen more than you think is necessary.

Give space for all parties to share and advocate for their position.

Encourage the team to come to a shared decision on their own.

If that fails, as a leader, you should calmly and firmly make a choice — and explain the reasoning behind your decision-making.

5) Provide adequate resources and training

A great leader doesn’t just help their team members to do their current jobs. Great leaders help them identify room for advancement to develop their skills and progress their careers. Support your team by giving them the resources they need to excel and reach the next level.

Related: More tips on how you can retain your best talent.

Onboarding tools for seamless transitions

Work with human resources to create onboarding templates and programs, so the process is consistent between managers.

BambooHR Onboarding organizes and automates the process.

Wistia is a great platform for creating branded video content (for video training and onboarding).

6) Keep yourself accountable

In your time as a leader, things won’t always go perfectly smoothly. You might even make a few bad calls. (Hey, you’re only human.) When things go wrong — when a project goes off track, when the scope suddenly changes , when the unexpected happens — you need to face it head on. Take responsibility and work with your team to address the issues and get back on target.

Accountability tips

Demonstrate effective time management skills by completing your own tasks on time. Doing so demonstrates strong leadership skills and shows your whole team that you practice what you preach.

Apologize when appropriate — whether to individual team members or to a larger group of people, an apology from a leader demonstrates vulnerability and transparency. You’ll show that you’re still working on your own competencies and weaknesses, and you’re willing to admit when you’re wrong.

Focus on outcomes, not just task completion. You can check every box on your to-do list, but if your team doesn’t reach the appropriate outcome, the whole team — and you — share in the blame. “I did my part” shows a task-oriented mentality. “How can we do better” or “How can I help” shows a focus on outcomes.

7) Keep your eye on the big picture

As a leader, you need to strike a balance between zooming in on the details and zooming out to see the big picture. In other words, you must ensure your team is accomplishing the day-to-day tasks without losing sight of the overarching goals you’re working toward and how the team contributes to those goals.

It’s a balancing act, but it’s one that any great leader needs to learn how to do.

Why keeping big picture thinking is important

Like staying focused on outcomes, big-picture thinking doesn’t spend all day chasing rabbits or putting out fires. Yes, fires need to be put out, but someone has to be responsible for refocusing the team as soon as the smoke clears. If you can keep the right focus, you’ll stabilize your team and help them find synergy.

8) Show some empathy

According to inspirational leadership author Simon Sinek, empathy “is the most important instrument in a leader’s toolbox .” Simply asking, “Is everything okay?” demonstrates you care about the team member and helps build relationships .

Related: More lessons we’ve learned about working with people

Examples of empathetic approaches

If an employee starts crying in your office (or over Zoom), whatever was at the top of the agenda takes a back seat. Soften your tone and ask what you can do to help.

When performance issues arise (say, consistent late starts to work), ask questions before you jump to consequences. We’re not suggesting being laissez-faire about misconduct. But we are suggesting asking an employee about the factors contributing to the lateness.

When team members are frustrated, don’t jump straight to solutions. First, enter into the frustration — find out the root cause and validate that frustration. Then you’re ready to apply solutions.

9) Build strong one-on-one relationships

One-on-one meetings are a great way for a team leader to build relationships. They also allow each team member to put their case forward for personal improvement or raise issues blocking them from performing better. Listen to what your team members say and do your best to support them.

Related: How to turn tough feedback into actionable advice (and build relationships with your team even when you’re remote ).

Relationship-building tips

Coffee with the boss: Take team members out for coffee (usually two at a time feels more natural than one-on-one). Don’t talk about work. Ask about their dogs, their kids, their hobbies, and tell them about yours. (Virtual teams = virtual coffee break, sanctioned “unproductive” time with the boss.)

Unstructured meeting starts: Don’t jump into team or department meetings too quickly. Intentionally leave a few minutes at the start for unstructured conversation, which can result in impromptu team building. These unstructured starts work naturally in person — people begin to talk, and relationships grow. For virtual teams, you may need to prompt with some questions (“Anyone do anything exciting this weekend?”).

10) Build respect

Great leaders demonstrate respect for team members in many ways, particularly by being engaged with the team and working with them. Great leaders aren’t afraid to admit mistakes or take risks. They understand that respect is earned through empathy, compassion, and trust.

Why mutual respect is important in an organization

Teams generally will not trust or willingly follow a leader they do not respect. They’ll follow begrudgingly when threatened into it, but that’s no way to build a positive culture. Earning that respect is key to earning trust and willing followers.

On the other side of the coin, team members who know they have their manager’s respect are motivated and empowered to do more and work with more autonomy.

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Lead your team to success with Teamwork.com

Being a leader presents constant new challenges, especially in our increasingly remote-first world. But armed with these 10 strategies, you now have a roadmap toward better teamwork, communication, and trust.

Another component of trust and teamwork is visibility. When it’s crystal clear who’s doing what and why, teams can move forward with grace and speed. Teamwork.com provides this visibility into projects, clearing up the mystery and allowing all members of the team to work together toward a common goal.

See more of what Teamwork.com can do for your business now - get started now for free, view our comprehensive pricing plans , or book a demo today.

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teamwork and leadership skills essay

Teamwork.com: The all-in-one platform for client work

Learn how Teamwork.com helps you drive business efficiency, grow profits, and scale confidently.

Ben Brigden - Senior Content Marketing Specialist - Author

Ben is a Senior Content Marketing Specialist at Teamwork.com. Having held content roles at agencies and SaaS companies for the past 8 years, Ben loves writing about the latest tech trends and work hacks in the agency space.

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Feb 15, 2023

Essays on Leadership for Students | 200 - 500 Word Essays

Are you writing an essay about leadership? Check out these examples!

Leadership is often defined as "the action of inspiring others to act in concert to achieve a particular goal." It signifies the harmony in actions that lead to a common objective. A genuine leader not only exudes confidence but also paves the way for their followers towards triumph. Over the years, various leadership styles have been identified and discussed by psychologists.

 Qualities such as intelligence, adaptability, extroversion, innate self-awareness, and social competence often emerge as the hallmarks of impactful leaders. There's a consensus that these traits mold an individual into an effective leader. Interestingly, some theories suggest that extraordinary situations can thrust an ordinary individual into the spotlight, bestowing upon them the mantle of leadership. It's also believed that leadership isn't a static trait but an evolving journey. It underscores the belief that with dedication and the right resources, anyone can hone their leadership abilities.

 True leadership goes beyond merely advocating for a cause. It involves taking responsibility, igniting motivation in others, and differentiating oneself from just being a 'boss'. A leader's essence lies in their ability to inspire and propel people towards grand visions, whereas a manager typically focuses on oversight and operational aspects.

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay falls under the category of student application essays and serves to provide student admissions officers with insight into your past leadership experiences. Despite appearing to be very specific, this type of essay acknowledges that the nature and perception of leadership can vary significantly depending on the individual and the context.

 If you find yourself in need of further insights or a unique angle for your leadership essay, consider exploring an expert essay-writing tool designed to assist students in crafting compelling narratives by analyzing vast data and generating fresh ideas within minutes. In this article, we'll also delve into various leadership essay examples to offer a clearer understanding of the genre and inspire your writing journey.

4 Examples of Leadership Essays

Qualities of a good leader, introduction.

Confidence is the most important attribute first of all. One of the most important qualities in a leader is confidence in one's own abilities. A lack of self-assurance is fatal to a person's leadership potential. If you want others to follow you, you need to exude self-assurance. It's imperative for a leader to have faith in his own judgment and actions. How can people want to follow him if he doesn't even know what he's doing?

Every effective leader knows that they need to be an inspiration to their followers. A leader needs to set an example for his team. In addition, he ought to inspire them whenever feasible. A leader must also maintain optimism in trying times.

What qualities a good leader must have?

Leadership is the ability to influence and guide individuals or groups toward a common goal. A leader must possess several qualities to be effective, including:

Communication skills: A leader must be able to communicate their vision and goals clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. This requires excellent listening skills, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different communication styles.

Emotional intelligence: A leader must be able to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their team members. This includes being able to understand and respond to the emotions of others, and handling conflicts in a constructive manner.

Visionary: A leader must have a clear and inspiring vision of the future, and be able to articulate this vision in a way that motivates others to work towards it.

Strategic thinking: A leader must be able to think critically and creatively to identify and solve problems, make decisions, and develop plans and strategies to achieve their goals.

Flexibility: A leader must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be open to new ideas and perspectives. This requires the ability to embrace change, be innovative, and continuously learn and grow.

Integrity: A leader must have strong ethics and values, and be willing to make difficult decisions that are consistent with their beliefs. This requires honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Decisiveness: A leader must be able to make tough decisions quickly, without undue hesitation or procrastination. This requires courage and the ability to take calculated risks.

Empowerment: A leader must be able to delegate responsibilities, give team members the resources they need to succeed, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability among their team.

Conclusion 

These qualities are essential for effective leadership, and when combined with hard work, determination, and a commitment to excellence, can help leaders to achieve great things.

How one can be a Great Leader?

Leadership is the act of performing the duties of a leader. In the business world, for instance, it is essential to have someone in charge of a team to ensure everything runs well. Effective leadership is essential for any group that wants to maximize its prospects of success.

Leadership Comes from Experience

As we've shown, leadership can be innate in some cases but is more often learned through practice and exposure. Sometimes the best traits of a leader must be learned over a lengthy period of time, so that one can become a notable one, proving that leadership is not always about a person's innate qualities. Leaders should continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

Nobody can disagree that experience is a key component of leadership. Numerous examples exist to back up this claim, such as:

Instance 1:

Our school's head boy or girl has traditionally been an older student who has been around for a while and thus has a better grasp of the ins and outs of school politics.

Instance 2:

When there is a vacancy for a team leader, it is common practice for the employee who has consistently put in the most effort and attention to the office job to receive a higher number of votes than their coworkers. 

“The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience.” - John C. Maxwell

How one can be a Great Leader/Skills to be a Great Leader?

Effective leadership is a skill that develops through time. Developing into a leader with all the qualities that are needed takes a lot of hard work and potential. Being a prominent leader calls for a wide variety of traits. Some of these characteristics are addressed in further detail below:

One should be a Good Communicator

To be an effective leader, one must be able to convey his thoughts clearly to his/her/its subordinates.

Should have Confidence

The individual should have faith in what he says and does.

Give Credit to other Team Members too

A leader not only needs to impose his viewpoints and opinions instead he must also hear to the suggestions of other members of the team and offer them credit if their concept is appropriate.

Good Bond with the Team

A leader's ability to command respect from his team members depends on his ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with them.

Leads with Responsibility

A leader needs to be completely committed to his position. It's important that he takes on responsibility so that he can effectively deal with the various challenges he will inevitably face.

Any group or organization needs a leader above all else. Leadership development takes time and effort. One needs to have lived through a lot to be an effective leader. It's not enough to simply have years of experience in the field; one must also have the traits that make one an effective leader. You can't be a great leader unless you possess certain traits.

What makes a Good Leader?

Trying one's hand as a leader appears easy when viewed through this lens. Is that so tough? Of course not; leading is difficult, and not everyone aspires to be a leader. The vast majority of us have settled into well-established careers where we report to superiors and make a living. Still, not everyone is content to go along with the crowd. They become leaders in whatever field they pursue. A leader is an example to followers and will prioritize the needs of those around them.

Some Unique Qualities of a Leader

Many individuals resort to their leaders to vent their frustrations, therefore it's important for them to be good listeners.

A leader ought to be completely forthright; they can't play favorites or give anyone preferential treatment. One of the most essential qualities of a strong leader is the ability to make decisions with integrity.

They need to be aware of the bigger picture and understand what makes an individual stand out or become a leader. It's their expertise in addition to other distinguishing traits. Their awareness of current events and the results of recent studies is essential. In many ways, this is helpful, and it's the leader's responsibility to stay current.

Since some might not understand them, they should utilize straightforward, easily comprehended language. Leaders need to be able to communicate effectively at all times. In reality, what sets them apart is their exceptional communication skills. Adolf Hitler was such a gifted orator that his followers believed every word he said.

No matter how you're feeling or what's going on in the world, if you listen to a leader, they may make you feel energized. Since leaders are in charge of inspiring confidence in their followers, they can't afford to be wary or unsure of themselves. People tend to blindly follow their leaders.

Whether you're a leader or a doctor, you should devote yourself completely to your chosen field. Everything we do is for the benefit of others; engineers, for example, spend much of their time designing and constructing buildings for other people. So, take pride in what you do, and if you possess the aforementioned traits, you are also a leader who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed. No matter what you do, aspiring to leadership positions will always benefit others.

What is Leadership in Management and what are the weaknesses and strengths of a Leader?

Simply said, leadership is acting as a supervisor or manager of a group. Different mental pictures pop up when we hear the word "leadership" used in conversation. One might think of a political leader, team leader, corporate leader, school leader, etc. Leaders facilitate order and efficiency in the workplace. Teamwork and success are fundamental to effective leadership. Leaders utilize their managerial abilities to establish courses and guide their teams to success.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Leadership

Able to express oneself more clearly

Growth of character.

Self-awareness.

Possession of teamwork skills.

Gain assurance in yourself.

Weaknesses:

Acting favorably toward one's teammates.

Having no faith in the leader.

Thinks they're better than everyone else, but act hypocritically.

Not living up to the promised standard.

Insufficient morals.

Leadership and Management

Management and leadership are inextricably linked to one another. Leadership and management are both vital to the efficient operation of an organization; but, they accomplish very different things in the process. Leadership is a necessary skill for anyone aspiring to be an effective manager. The terms management and leadership are synonymous with one another. In this manner, we are able to draw the conclusion that a manager who demonstrates the traits of a successful leader is, in fact, a manager who is effective.

Leadership in School

Leadership is essential in nearly every group, as we've seen above. That group includes one's educational institution. Every school needs an outstanding figure to serve as its head of school. Class monitor, assembly captain, cultural leader, etc. are all examples of leadership roles that can be taken on at school, but this raises the question of what makes a person a successful school leader.

Any student hoping to be chosen as a student body leader will need to demonstrate a wide range of competencies. He or she needs to be a consistent student who pays attention in class and does well in extracurricular activities. For the simple reason that no intelligent and hardworking kid would ever be considered for leadership. Student leaders are most often selected from among those who participate fully in all activities.

Leadership in Organization

Leadership in an organization, also known as organizational leadership, is the process of establishing long-term objectives that further the company's mission and help it reach its ultimate destination. This is a classic illustration of how Bill Gates often works with his team: they agree on a strategy, and Gates implements it. To the same extent, it is the responsibility of the leader in each given organization to determine what it is that the group is trying to accomplish.

Leadership in Politics

Leadership in politics, also known as political leadership, is the process of becoming actively involved in a political party in the role of a party leader. Knowledge of political processes, their outcomes, and the political agenda is central to the idea of political leadership.

An effective leader can be developed in anyone who has the determination and drives to do so. Both the strengths and the areas for improvement should be nurtured. Whether in the classroom, the workplace, or the political arena, leadership is always necessary. Therefore, one can exercise leadership anywhere they like inside their own organization.

What are the types of Leadership?

The ability to lead is a rare trait that not everyone possesses. The ability to do so is a gift, so count your blessings if you possess it. It's recommended that you hone it even more so that you can propel your career forward and serve as an example to people around you. However, it is crucial to grasp the various leadership styles before you go ahead and polish your skills.

Types of Leadership Styles

Democratic Leadership

In this style of management, subordinates are given a voice in decision-making. Although the subordinates' efforts are highlighted, the leader is ultimately held responsible for the group's actions. Many people find this type of leadership to be effective.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders motivate and inspire others to adopt new behaviors and ways of thinking in order to improve their own performance and that of their teams and organizations. A transformational leader is someone who encourages their team to strive for greater things and works to boost morale and output.

Team Leadership

A good leader fully incorporates his team into the task at hand. Members of the team are motivated to reach their goals and advance in their careers thanks to the leadership of the group.

Strategic Leadership

It requires a chief executive who doesn't restrict himself to brainstorming sessions with his superiors. He contributes on every level of the team. He is well-liked for his ability to unite the need for fresh ideas with the necessity of grounding them in reality.

Autocratic Leadership

The leader in a command and control structure is the center of attention. The chief executive has absolute power in this setting. He decides things on his own, without polling his staff. He relays this information to his staff and stresses the importance of swift action. The buck stops with him, and he alone must answer for his actions. Not much room for negotiation exists. It's no secret that this method of leading has its detractors.

Visionary Leadership

This kind of leader appreciates the abilities and requirements of his team members. He describes his ideal outcome and the teamwork that will be necessary to attain it.

Coaching Leadership

Leaders who coach their teams do so regularly in an effort to raise output. He inspires his employees to do better and works to keep them motivated. This approach to leadership has been much praised.

Facilitative Leadership

With occasional guidance, a facilitative leader ensures that the process runs smoothly for his team. As a precaution in case his team is ineffective. If the team is highly effective, the leader will take a hands-off approach.

Cross-Cultural Leadership

The leadership of this type is necessary when interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds. Because of the wide variety of cultures represented in the workforce across the United States, many managers and executives hold cross-cultural positions.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

The members of the team are given responsibility in this style of management. They are free to choose how they spend their time at work, with minimal oversight from the boss. It's not a good way to lead, according to experts.

Transactional Leadership

An interactive approach is integral to this kind of leadership. When team members successfully implement their leader's ideas and choices, they are rewarded with immediate, material benefits.

Charismatic Leadership

In order to bring out the best in his followers, this kind of leader makes the effort to change their attitudes, values, and actions.

This article should dispel the notion that leadership qualities can't be further subdivided. It should also assist you in pinpointing your own personal brand of leadership so you can perfect it over time.

Final Words

In conclusion, leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that involves various qualities and skills. Effective leaders possess traits such as integrity, vision, empathy, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They are able to navigate challenges, make difficult decisions, and lead their team toward success. Leadership also involves continuous learning and self-improvement, as leaders must adapt to changing circumstances and remain relevant. Effective leadership can have a positive impact on both individuals and organizations, fostering growth and creating a culture of success.

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Home / Essay Samples / Business / Human resources / Team

Qualities of a Good Team Member

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Human resources , Business Skills

Team , Teamwork

  • Words: 744 (2 pages)

Please note! This essay has been submitted by a student.

Table of Contents

Introduction, effective communication, collaborative mindset, adaptability and flexibility, leadership and initiative, accountability and responsibility.

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Developing Leadership Skills

Strong leadership abilities are necessary to ensure the success of any activity performed by a team. Leadership refers to a process through which one person uses the help and support of others towards achieving a particular goal or task. For one to be a truly effective leader, he/she must posses some leadership skills. Only then can one interact better with his followers and hence foster productivity. In this paper, I shall analyze some of the skills expected of a leader and evaluate how they apply in my leadership style.

The most important skill that a leader should have is the ability to identify his/ her team. Team identity is of great importance because it enables a leader to know who is on a team and the purpose of the team (Adair, 2010). Understanding a team’s mode of operation enables the leader to make decisions that are considerate to all members need’s thereby instilling morale and boost team spirit.

Motivational skills are among the core attributes that a leader must posses. Motivation is defined as a “process of stimulating people to action to accomplish desired goals” (Kondalkar 2002, p.245).

Bearing in mind the fact that the leader is tasked with marshaling the organization’s resources to accomplish some organizational goal, it can be rightfully stated that part of the role of the leader is to motivate his staff to achieve certain desired goals. As such, an exemplary leader must possess motivational skills to ensure that the employees have a high degree of commitment in their performance.

Similarly, communication skills are of great importance to a leader. According to Greene and Burleson (2003) communication is arguably the corner stone on which any successful relationship, be it business or personal, is built. As such, a great leader should be able to effectively communicate the organizational goals, mission, vision and regulations to his/her subordinates. In so doing, the leader has a guarantee that set tasks shall be executed effectively and efficiently. This ensures that the organization works towards success.

In addition, Adair (2010) asserts that a great leader should possess conflict resolution skills. In all organizations, there arise contentious issues which elicit different reactions from the organization members at some point in time. How these issues are diffused may spell out the difference between the subsequent success and failure of the organization. Having conflict resolution skills can play a crucial role in ensuring that the crises or contention is managed in a diplomatic manner.

On the same note, a great leader should be flexible. By this I mean that a leader should be aware of his/her employee’s emotions and traits and consider them while making decisions. Disregarding these aspects may invariably lead to the failure of a team and subsequently, the organization.

In regard to the above skills, I often fall short when it comes to motivating fellow colleagues. This is mainly due to the fact that I do not interact well with others and I cannot eloquently express myself while under stress. This is most disturbing since communication and motivation are core attributes that can be used to promote team work.

Regardless of these shortcomings, I believe that I can improve on these skills, thereby ensuring that I become a better leader in the future. Leadership seminars are seen as one of the way through which people can be empowered.

Conflict management, communication and motivational skills can be gained through such seminars thus equipping an individual with ways and means of how to deal with issues arising from workplace interactions. Adoption of a policy of openness to dissimilarity can further act in the good of workplace communication.

This paper set out to investigate what effective leadership consists of in business and organizations setting. To this end, the paper has highlighted the skills expected from good leadership and subsequently articulated how the skills of an effective leader impact on the organization.

It has been seen that the adoption of an effective leadership skills in an organization will yield to higher productivity which will subsequently result in the attainment of the organizational goals of increased productivity. From the discussions forwarded in this paper, it has been noted that a lack of these leadership skills can lead to lack of focus and generally unmotivated workers hence lowers profitability of the entire organization.

Adair, J. (2010). Develop Your Leadership Skills: Develop Yourself as a Leader; Lead at a Strategic Level; Grow Leaders in Your Organization . USA: Kogan Page Publishers.

Greene, O., & Burleson, R. (2003). Handbook of communication and social interaction skills. New York: Routledge.

Kondalkar, P. (2002). Organization effectiveness and change management. USA: PHI learning Pvt. Ltd.

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  26. Developing of Leadership Skills

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