How to be a Successful Leader pt. 1

Leading a team can be hard. You’re not always going to get to pick your teammates, so it's important to work well with the ones you're given.

In fact, very often a leader inherits a team, in which most of the members have been there far longer than the leader, and may even know more about the work than the leader. Whatever the situation, one of the responsibilities of a leader is to motivate the team to all work together towards the common goal. This can be a daunting challenge. So often the team is comprised of very diverse members, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and work styles. The team dynamics are also often complicated by internal disagreements and personal conflicts. The leader, not only has worked with this group of people but also needs to achieve the results expected by their superiors.

A good leader will see the greatest results by working and utilizing the strengths and working style characteristics of the personalities on the team. By correctly positioning the individual member's strengths and compensating for weaknesses, the leader can bring the team into a productive balance and harmony.