Leading small teams

Make sure everyone on your team sees learning as part of their job

A good starting point is simply talking about your own development. When managers open up about improving their personal areas, it becomes more acceptable for everyone else to do the same. Ask yourself:

• What skills are you most excited to develop?
• In what areas do you need to grow the most?
• What ideas have you found useful for achieving these goals?

Share your answers with the rest of your team.

The reality is that most people are not prepared to take advantage of development opportunities. Many organizations see learning as something extra, something to fit in alongside regular work. But to create a culture that encourages employee growth, managers need to make learning an expectation - not an option.

Companies are investing considerable money and time in talent development, but without doing the initial work to ensure that leaders are building a learning culture. Front-line managers (coordinators?) have the greatest and most immediate influence. If you are a manager/coordinator who wants to grow your team, demonstrate that you are committed to growth.

Be the person who speaks up. Managers should frame learning as an opportunity for growth, not as a quid pro quo for promotion. If you talk about learning as something enjoyable, you set a fun tone that encourages people to be authentic and open to trying new behaviors.

Managing the stars

Stars can generate tension in the team. Maybe they expect performance equal to theirs, or colleagues are envious of their skills and treat them differently from everyone else. You can’t control other people’s emotions, but you can advise them on how they act.

What to do when everyone looks at you

Managing a team is hard because, in the end, it all comes down to people, and we are all multifaceted, complex, biopsychosocial beings. Just as there is no one way to be a person, there is no one way to manage a group of people. And yet, working as a team is how the world moves forward. We can create things much bigger and more ambitious than anything we could have done alone.

In quarantine is where the biggest challenges can arise. For a leader, a crisis can be the best moment and at the same time, the darkest day. Teams will remember your actions and decisions - good and bad - for years to come. So, as you navigate the waves of the crisis, remember that each phase requires a different approach.

Anxiety is not always counterproductive. It can lead you to react quickly to threats/opportunities and, in a crisis, it can stimulate you to make your team more productive. But if you don’t pay attention, it drains your energy and clouds your decisions. Anxiety is a powerful enemy; you need to disarm it. First you must accept your anxiety and know what triggers it.

In the end, leading is a challenge, first you need to lead yourself, before leading a great team.