Your team members are struggling with leadership skills. What's the best way to help them?

Verstehen Sie, womit ihre Teammitglieder Probleme haben, wenn es um ihre Führungsqualitäten geht. Zur Ausgangslage gehört es zunächst die Perspektive der Teamkollegen zu kennen und zu akzeptieren. Wenn Sie sich selbst reflektieren, sind diese Fragen recht hilfreich: - Welche Führungsaufgaben gehen mir leicht von der Hand oder fallen mir eher schwer? - Wann fühle ich mich wohl oder unwohl in meiner Führungsrolle? - Wie ist meine Beziehungsebene zu meinen Teammitgliedern? - Was waren meine drei größten Erfolge als Führungskraft? (Und warum war ich erfolgreich?) - Was waren meine drei größten Herausforderungen als Führungskraft? (Und wie konnte ich diese meistern?)

Helping team members develop their leadership skills involves a combination of support, guidance, and opportunities for growth. Here's a step-by-step approach to assist them: Assessment: Start by understanding each team member's strengths and areas for improvement regarding leadership. This can be done through self-assessment tools, one-on-one discussions, or performance reviews. Set Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate what leadership skills are essential for your team's success. Define specific behaviors and qualities you expect from leaders within the team.

In addressing team members' struggles with leadership skills, fostering a supportive learning environment is paramount. Implement tailored leadership development programs encompassing training, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities. Encourage self-reflection and feedback mechanisms to identify areas for growth and provide constructive guidance. Offer opportunities for practical application of leadership principles through project leadership roles or cross-functional collaborations. Facilitate access to resources such as workshops, books, and online courses to supplement learning. Lead by example, demonstrating effective leadership behaviors, and providing mentorship and support.

Provide Training and Resources: Offer training programs, workshops, or seminars focused on leadership development. This could include topics such as effective communication, conflict resolution, decision-making, and emotional intelligence. Mentorship and Coaching: Pair team members with experienced mentors or coaches who can provide guidance, feedback, and support as they work on improving their leadership skills. These mentors could be within the organization or external professionals. Encourage Hands-On Experience: Provide opportunities for team members to take on leadership roles in projects or initiatives. This allows them to practice their skills in a real-world context and learn from both successes and failures.

Coaching and mentoring are powerful tools for developing leadership skills within your team. First, you need to invest in coaching and mentoring yourself so that you have the skills to be effective in your coaching. And you must trust your team. Your role is to bring out the best in your people. Avoid micromanagement and instead focus on empowering your team members to take ownership of their tasks and make decisions. Reassurance trust that you know they can get the job done. Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their challenges and concerns. Listen actively and ask questions that help them think through issues more thoroughly. Encourage them when they face challenges to learn from them and keep going.

Feedback and Reflection: Regularly provide constructive feedback on their leadership performance and encourage self-reflection. Help them identify areas where they excel and areas that need further development. Lead by Example: Demonstrate strong leadership qualities in your own actions and behaviors. Serve as a role model for your team members to emulate. Create a Supportive Environment: Foster a culture that values continuous learning and development. Encourage collaboration, creativity, and innovation, and provide a safe space for team members to experiment and grow as leaders.

Adding to this, I'd suggest to not only delegate, but to come up with an approach together. While some might excel in completing tasks from a technical point of view, the leadership part might not come easy. So 'planning ahead' together with the team member can help. We might ask: "How do you intend to involve others? Who might be impacted by this? In what way will you collaborate with your team mates? How will you keep everyone up to date? What opportunities are there for you to train and develop others while still being in the lead for this? What exactly is your contribution? What roadblocks do you foresee and how might you navigate them?"

If your team is struggling with leadership, a simple way to support them is to ask one of them to lead a team meeting or group project. This should be a low-stakes way for your team to experience leading people they are already comfortable with. Great leaders aren't just born - They have practiced their leadership skills over a period of time. Giving your staff the opportunity to lead by releasing some of your responsibilities will help give them great practice!

Most of us have heard the saying that children will fail to do what you say, but they will succeed in doing what you do. Though your staff are obviously not children, the same applies. If you tell your staff how to be a good leader but you yourself are sub-par, you will not succeed in developing strong leadership on your team. Take the time to improve your own leadership skills by reading, soliciting feedback, and observing other leaders - Then, model that back in an authentic way to your team and watch their skills grow in return!

Betrachten darf man auch: Wie sieht die Teamführung im Gesamten aus? - Fühlt sich die Geschäftsführung selbst wohl? - Fühlen sich die Führungskräfte wohl und sind diese zufrieden mit der Teamführung von oben? - Innerhalb Teams eine Kultur schaffen, die Zeit & Raum für einen offenen Austausch ermöglicht. Was wird geschätzt? Womit fühlen sich die einzelnen Wohl und was fehlt ihnen? Unmut darf man im Detail erst einmal verstehen und ausdrücken lernen, auch das ist ein Prozess 💫

Recognition and Rewards: Acknowledge and celebrate the progress and achievements of team members as they work on improving their leadership skills. This could be through formal recognition programs, promotions, or other incentives. Monitor Progress and Adjust: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your leadership development efforts and make adjustments as needed. Be flexible and responsive to the evolving needs and challenges of your team members. By following these steps, you can help your team members develop and enhance their leadership skills, ultimately contributing to the overall success of your team and organization.