A few systematic studies have been conducted to determine the success factors that contribute to effective team leadership. These studies revealed several important team leader qualities that help build an effective team.

Building an effective team requires a leader that is an expert communicator who supports team efforts every way possible. Team leaders must build trust and inspire teamwork, facilitate and support team decisions, expand team capabilities, create a team identity, make the most of team differences, and foresee and influence change.

A team leader must coach rather than demonstrate. By simply demonstrating, you are motivating your member to just get the work done rather than helping him learn. This impedes that team member’s skill development and makes him dependent on you, causing him to require guidance for just about everything in the long run. He may even be hesitant to make decisions or take action without checking with you first.

A team leader must also know how to provide constructive criticism and to be positive. Although feedback is important, be sure to communicate the good as well as the bad. You can also provide clear suggestion on how your members can improve or guide them by sharing your knowledge and experience. Aside from being positive in what you say, also be positive in how you perceive things. Be positive in the way you look at simple opportunities or even inevitable obstacles. If you look at the glass as half full, your team members will surely look at it the same way.

Last but not the least, a team leader must know how to listen. In order to achieve effective team leadership, you must value your group’s ideas. Consider each and every idea that your team members generate and encourage them to communicate their insights regularly. A team is called a “team” because it is comprised of more than just one person helping each other out to achieve a common goal.