Much to my consternation I agreed to participate in a hackathon this weekend. Why give up my last free weekend before school? I’m not really sure, but I’d gotten a bug about learning some new things and trying them out. Since I’d been flying through some udemy courses I figured I’d force myself to apply some of that. Several times at points of extreme frustration I thought, “I’d so much rather be watching netflix or making myself a fun hoodie.” I don’t like waiting to do things, certainly not for several hours under tight deadlines for reasons that should be under the team’s control. But I digress. My objective here is not to talk about my hackathon experience. Instead, I’ll talk about something that is crucial for a great team project as a reflection on all of my group projects for work and school.
At the core of everything, having a good leader for a project can make or break your success.
What do I consider to be success?
Success is first and foremost completion of the objective, but that is not the entirety of it. A journey is not just about the destination; how you get there matters. Are you doing it together or separately and just hoping for some cohesion at parts during the way? The second main indicator of success to me is team member satisfaction. This is a key factor in determining the functional – or dysfunctional – operations of the team. Several things play into this, but what I’ve found to be most indicative of a functional team is a great team lead. The more functional a team is, the more likely they are to complete their objectives.
What makes a great team lead?
There is so much variance on the definition of a leader and what follows are what I have found to be key traits. I’ve learned so much from my involvement with 4-H, my first alma mater’s sometimes kitschy emphasis on “servant leadership”, my MBA from that same school, and the example set by some amazing people I have worked with or under in my adult life.
Emotional Intelligence
Some naturally have a higher level of emotional intelligence, but it can also be developed. 🙂 From this excellent article, “Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.
Facilitation
This ties into why EQ is so important – it enables you to be a respected facilitator. 🙂 This word has some questionable connotations with it that might suggest a lack of authority but if your team respects you the authority is still there. Great leaders do not dictate or control everything that is happening within the team. They’re aware of what’s happening, encourage and inspire communication, and resolve conflicts in a timely manner.
Inspiration
This comes in many ways and effectiveness varies by person. It’s best if you know your team well. For me, the trigger is to be challenged and I have several people who have known and used this to the benefit of the team. The joke at work is to say, “I bet you can’t…” Even just intrinsic rewards/recognition go a long way and these are often overlooked.
How do I become an effective team lead?
Everyone takes a different path, but practice, self-awareness, and reflection will certainly help you get there faster. My natural tendency is to step up and lead but only if needed. I much prefer to stay in the background and enable my teammates to succeed without recognition. Be mindful that you can actually practice these without “being in charge”. 🙂