Just because you lead the team doesn’t mean you’re automatically a team player. You can be on top and still lack the capacity to work with a team. Here are some tips to help you stay in your role as a leader but still cooperate with everyone else.
Don’t delegate and leave
Some leaders tend to delegate tasks and let the employees take it from there. It’s a horrible idea. You should be available to answer questions related to the assigned tasks. You should also be there to provide examples or give initial ideas. Once you have already delegated the tasks, monitor the teams and ask how you can help. You can’t leave everyone hanging in the process and expect superb results.
Don’t put everyone under pressure
You can’t avoid seeing employees who do their jobs to impress you. If not, they don’t wish to be on the crossfire when you get angry. Try to remove pressure when you expect results from everyone. You might think that it helps them do a better job, the truth is, it does not. Removing pressure creates a healthier work environment. It also makes everyone feel comfortable working.
Give ideas
You already know how some of these projects work. You even led the company before. However, when you want someone else to do the job, you must give ideas on doing things right. For instance, you can coordinate with a funfair stall for hire company to celebrate a milestone. Suggest where you can find the right partner in this event. You can also warn the employees on what to avoid to prevent failure. Your wisdom will be of immense help to the people in your team.
Open your doors for questions
Once you delegate the tasks, expect everyone to be somewhat independent. They should be able to do everything with minimal supervision. Therefore, you should not micromanage your team. But it also doesn’t mean you can leave everyone behind. The right philosophy is that you should be there to respond when your employees still have questions. If you don’t know the answer, be honest about it.
Be flexible
You have expectations of the project, and you want your team to succeed. However, you’re not flexible enough. You tell everyone to take the same direction and get angry when people find alternatives. You should learn to be flexible enough. It means that if there are other suggestions to make the event happen, you must be open to them. You might even accept a new timeline if your employees think it’s impossible to get everything done on time.
With these tips, you can be a great team player. Remember that if the project fails, it goes back to you. It shows how terrible you are as a leader. On the other hand, if everything succeeds, you can also get credit for it. You show that you can lead and be a team player at the same time. Your employees will also feel comfortable having you around.
