Leading a
team
Generations
of social conditioning has ensured that women make good team players
because of their ability to work in harmony with others and ability
to work under a leader. Now, with women breaking the corporate
glass ceiling, there are more leadership positions open to them.
In the software industry, for instance, there has been an increase
in the number of women project leaders.
The
current industrial scenario requires a shift from women subordinates
to women leaders. There are different skills for a subordinate
role and different skills for leadership roles Women should learn
to tap their inherent potential, develop their leadership skills,
and project their leadership qualities as strengths.
Here
are some of the difficulties that a woman team leader may face:
- Some
team members may be unwilling to work under a woman's leadership
- Some
team members may refuse to acknowledge their limitations to
a woman
- Some
team members may refuse to take the leader seriously
Tactful
handling is essential in overcoming these problems, as egos are
fragile and easy to hurt! But a woman plays many roles in her
life… daughter, wife, daughter-in-law, mother... where she has
to deal with different people to be effective in her given role.
Extending the same policy to the office will help maintain
good inter-personal relationships as well as being a good leader.
Leadership
and power:
Power
is the ability to influence other people. For example, when you
are a project leader, you are given positional power. You are
able to express your authority because of the position you are
in. However, this position of power is only temporary.
A
good leader is one who shifts from positional power to empowering
power - i.e., using power to develop skill and knowledge in
others.
Your
role will be to use the skills and knowledge of others appropriately
to achieve team goals.
Here
are some skills that will help you become a good team leader:
- The
ability to lead by example; to inspire other members of the
team
- The
ability to listen to the opinions of team members, and not dominate
meetings
- The
ability to encourage team members to give of their best
- The
ability to handle conflicts with tact and firmness
- Being
flexible enough to accommodate others' opinions and ideas
- Accessible
to all members of the team
- Getting
the team to respect the authority of the team leader
- And,
above all, getting the job done with maximum efficiency and
minimum fuss.
A
team is a group of people with diverse backgrounds, varied skills
and abilities, and different experiences. The team leader must
bring these different people together to work as a cohesive group.
Tactful use of her authority and delegation of responsibility,
along with the ability to understand each member of the team are
vital qualities for a team leader.
Remember:
- Set
challenging goals
- Do
not let the failure of some part of the project jeopardise the
entire project
- Be
assertive, not aggressive
- Try
to use conflict constructively
- Assign
responsible roles to deserving team members
- When
the goal is achieved, share the success with the others.
If
you have the opportunity to join the growing community of women
leaders, grab it! Make the best of it - for there will be many
other women looking up to you and hoping to learn from you.
