MAKALE

 “HOW TO BUILD UP A LEADERSHIP AND TEAM SYNERGY IN BUSINESS LIFE”

Emrah Altuntecim

In business teams and also in other types of teams, the team leaders should be technically and socially proficient. They should be competent people who are willing to to sacrifice for the work. If the team leaders do not have these qualitites, it is very hard for the team to be successful in the long run. The team leader may be elected democratically taking these qualitites into consideration.

For a synergy to build up in a team the team members should know their responsibilities and roles. More than each persons' personal wishes, the appropriateness is important in assignments. Especially in emergency situations like natural disasters, the roles of the members may need to be flexible. Nonetheless, the team members should know exactly what their assignments are.

The team leader should not have an antagonistic but rather a conciliatory personality. She/he must have well-rounded knowledge of different disciplines and should be regulatory. Sometimes there may be a power struggle between the team members and the team leader. This conflict may present itself in the form of rejection of the opinions of the leader or even the leader herself or he/she may be forced to take sides. There must be honest and open communication between the team members and the team leader and all the problems should be discussed openly.

Uninformed leaders cannot understand the relationship between the team members and can not prevent possible disputes between the team members. The team leader should know the roles and functions of every team member and must inquire how they can implement their roles. The team members may create an unhealthy atmospehere by over exalting the leader. The leader may be perceived as a savior. The team members may avoid responsibility by expecting the team leader to make decisions in a short amount of time on his/own. Sometimes the leader may not want to contradict the expectations of the team and may avoid acting carefully. However the duty of the leader is to take preventive measuers. The friction in the team is usually caused by the miscommunication between the team members. 

The most important factor that distinguishes a manager from a leader is the EQ. The person whom we call “Leader” is actually a manager who has good communication skills, who knows her strong and weak points, knows herself , puts effort in knowing herself. At the same time, he/she has the ability to empathize. According to my observations, in many operations and exercises, a leader has these qualities:

-He/She is aware of herself and puts effort in exploring herself

-He/She can control his emotions in emergency situations

-He/She can take initiative

-Understanding other peoples’ emotions, empathy

-Communicating succesfully with people under every circumstance

If you are selected to be the team leader I have a few recommendations for you:

-Do not exert yourself and your team under pressure more than you or they can handle. Stay away from motivating but untrue discourses like “We can do it! We can overcome any obstacle”. People feel what is true and they do not want to follow you if you do not believe what you are saying. Be honest. Accept the situation without dramatizing it and focus on what you can do.

-Face the crisis and deal with it immediately and thoroughly. If you quit early you may not be able to begin the fight again.

-Try to eliminate crisis situations before they start. Do not leave it to the mercy of time. A cigarette filter may burn an entire building within minutes.

-Always be accessible. When there is a problem go to the area of the problem. Do not hesitate to get involved. People appreciate leaders who are involved.

-Open your eyes and do not let people take the leadership who are not competitive.

-Do not allow flippant and unethical interventions.

-Earn people's trust.

-Keep your promises.

-Do not lie.

-Do not get stuck with rules that are valid in ordinary times but do not work in cirisis situations.

-Compliment your team members and reward them

-Do not be indifferent to the interests and likes of your team members. Do not hesitate to show them that you value them. Ask them about their families and do it sincerely.

-Do not frown or laugh in a crisis situation. Keeping a moderate positive outlook is the sign of being strong and calm. 

-After the crisis make an assesment of the situation. Do not wait for the incident to cool off and do not delay.

-Take a successful example as a role model and make it your example.

-Take a referance and read the biographies of important people.

"Be a living example to your team members..."