Team leadership- How to become an effective Team Leader?

How to be a Good Team Leader
An effective team leader will use the GRIPS model
Define Goals:
• help the team and each individual to be clear about who their customer is, what outputs are required from them and the standards they need to meet
• identify and agree objectives for continuous improvement
• demonstrate how these objectives contribute to the overall corporate goal (s)






Clarify Roles :
• identify how each individual fits into the team and the customer-supplier chain(s)
• explain your role and how you will provide support
Strive for honest Interaction:
• swap constructive feedback; listen to your team
• share feelings and concerns; be open
• aim for equality not dominance
• admit mistakes; give praise as well as censure
Support Personal development:
• systematically identify individual's strengths and needs
• agree personal development goals
• identify ways to meet these needs and goals
• coach, counsel and facilitate personal development
Adapt your Style :
• use the appropriate style to reflect each individual's level of development and the nature of the task. For example:
• use TELL when someone is very unsure or lacking knowledge and experience try CONSULTING your team to gain their views and ideas before you make a decision.
• when they have more experience, build their confidence by JOINT decision-making
• when individuals and/or the team have sufficient experience and confidence then DELEGATE goals and task to them and let them be responsible for working out how to achieve them
How It helps
Effective leadership is one of the key factors in successful teams. This GRIPS checklist summarises the main things a team leader needs to work on.
How to be a Good Team Member
An effective leader alone is not enough to make a team work well. Each individual must make a contribution. This checklist outlines the main areas that this should cover.
An effective team member:
• Knows and understands the purpose, objectives and performance measures of the team
• Contributes constructively to the development of the objectives and measures and plans to achieve them
• Has individual objectives and tasks to complete to contribute towards the team performance
• Attends team meetings; punctually and willingly
• Contributes ideas, information and experience during the meetings
• Takes an active role (scribe, timekeeper. etc) in meetings as required
• Listens to other members and builds on their views and ideas
• Participates constructively in debate
• Accepts the consensus view of the team
• Takes a share of the work to be done between meetings and completes this to a high standard on time
• Supports the leader and other members outside the team once plans and actions have been agreed
• Inputs high energy and enthusiasm into the team and the work to be done
• Recognises the contributions and help of others in the team.


(Courtsey- Build that team by Steve Smith)