6 Big Roles Every Great Leader Takes On At the Office

Often, new team leaders are just handed the reins … with very little direction or training. It’s exciting to be noticed and given this responsibility … you jump into the task enthusiastically … but soon you find yourself feeling frustrated and uncertain when the team doesn’t immediately follow your lead. You probably knew this before you took on the role, but being a leader is hard.

Know this. Management takes many different skills and role. Take the time to understand the subtle elements of your new leadership responsibilities. Your role on the team will evolve as the team progresses through and between its different stages: From director in the beginning, to educator and coach in the middle stages, to a delegator once your team is working together in the Established Performer stage. Throughout, you maintain your role as facilitator, counselor and motivator.

6 Roles a Manager Takes On:

1. Leader as Director

   Help the team discover its common purpose, and get team members started in the right direction

   Find creative ways to gain buy-in to important team objectives and goals

   Take an authoritative, directive approach

   Use SMART ways to get them to adopt a team mindset

2. Leader as Educator

   Explore the team’s roles and priorities

   Teach them how to play off one another’s strengths and limitations

   Provide members with training on elements of a team and teambuilding, conflict resolution, and problem solving

3. Leader as Coach

   Provide the resources and time needed to get the job done to agreed-upon standards

   Help them develop discipline

   Remediate or step in as necessary

   Give constructive feedback

   Praise and show gratitude

   Encourage them to take appropriate risks

4. Leader as Motivator

   Create a motivating environment

   Communicate the value and worth of everything they do

   Get the team involved in worthwhile teambuilding activities

   Try to eliminate any de-motivating factors that exist on the team

5. Leader as Counselor + Facilitator

   Guide the team through meetings and efforts, letting them take on more responsibility for leadership as they show readiness

   Ask open-ended questions to get them thinking on the right track

   Avoid close-ended questions whenever possible

   Provide support and resources when needed or requested

   Offer clarification and verification whenever needed

   Let them come up with their own roles and goals whenever possible

   When it comes to solutions, guide—don’t push

6. Leader as Delegator

   At this point, your team is ready to take off and virtually manage itself for the most part

   Trust your team members to come to you when they need more direction or help

   Be ready to step in and shift to a different style if the team begins to lose ground (perhaps going back a stage). Handle things quickly if new team members come onboard or if unresolved conflicts exists.