Learn to be a Team Leader

Successful business professionals practice the art of self-management. They make all the decisions, decide the type of clients they want, and schedule their days and weeks as they desire. Their business operates solely because of their individual effort.

But there will come a time – whether it’s when they are nearing retirement, or for some other reason, when any  individual has to start working with a team, rather than trusting in their own effort.

Moving from entrepreneur to effective team-leader is no easy task, mostly when someone has been doing the same thing everyday for many years. A whole new thinking process has to kick in. Finding, hiring and working with a team is entirely different than doing things for yourself. Yet, old habits are hard to break.

Most people have long to-do-lists. They note every project, meeting and deadline they have to meet. They note what happens during meetings. They note future appointments that may or may not get rebooked. They note when they are able to squeeze in a lunch appointment with an old friend. They keep themselves so busy, they forget where they are going in their business and why they are working so hard. They lose their direction and keep operating in a status-quo fashion.

Business plans are great if they are followed by taking some sort of action. Business meetings are great if they lead you in the right direction. The key here is to stop doing what you have programmed yourself to do over time, and really question your core values – who you are, what you want and who you want to have with you on your journey to success. Make the internal shift from thinking like a business person to wanting to help others and see others grow and succeed – if those are your core values.

You may try and measure your success through increased profits, but money is not a core value. You will keep changing course in business if you are solely driven by money. Team leaders view success as a win/win situation, where everyone involved grows and benefits. There is no I win / you lose thinking. Changing your thinking has to come from within, or nothing new will happen in the external world. Leadership begins from managing what goes on internally and working forward from that point.

Once the shift from thinking “one” to thinking “team and many” occurs, no matter how long it takes, it is time to take action. Find the right people to hire or keep looking. The right people are those who share similar core values. They are self-motivated and accountable. Who they are stands out more than what they know.

Building solid relationships takes time. Moving too fast is a mistake that many people make. And moving into a leadership role is the realization of what matters most in your world and how you can make a difference with the help and insight of others.

Nicole Attias is a corporate sales trainer based in Toronto, tel. 416-831-0356, epmail nicole@rogers.com