Leadership learning experience

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As a company succeeds and grows, so too does its workforce. With the increase in manpower comes the know-how to effectively manage large teams effectively.

Basics of managing a large team

Learning from the best

Unit 3

The importance of soft skills

Unit 2

Leadership in practice

Unit 1

INDEX

The fundamental foundations you’ll base your approach to leading on, from delegation to time management.

Unit 1

Leadership in practice

You can’t be everywhere at one time, so learn to delegate with confidence and vision.

As a manager of a large team, your time could well be spread thinly throughout the day, leaving you without the opportunities to focus on your own duties. Delegating whatever you can to other people who are capable of doing the tasks themselves is an essential part of management.Not only does this give members of your team an opportunity to step up and prove themselves capable of completing tasks that may be out of their comfort zone, it frees up your schedule so you can meet with your team, plan things such as training and allow you to be more approachable through the day.

Leadership in practice

1. the need to delegate

Gone are the days of informal meetings with your three-strong team. High-number teams will need a more structured, formal system in place. Whether it’s peer reviews or self-appraisals, employees want to know how they’re doing, if they’re succeeding and where they can improve. There are plenty of online evaluation tools geared towards larger teams that make things like this easier. Additionally, if they’re aware that performance is regularly monitored, your team will have a necessary incentive to improve in all aspects of their duties.

Leadership in practice

2. Implement an appraisal system

Leadership in practice

3. Leverage communications tools effectively

Tools such as Basecamp and Trello are there to organise workflows and neatly segment tasks into more manageable and easily assignable chunks. They put everything that needs to be done in one place, and lets you know exactly what’s going on through the day. That means more time doing work and less time in meetings assigning tasks to everyone.

Not only will things run in a smoother manner, it offers an opportunity to see who is succeeding and accomplishing what and when. And at end-of-year appraisals, it may clarify who could be in line for a raise or bonus.

Equally as crucial, we’ll detail the extra expertise you can use to strengthen your repertoire.

Unit 2

The importance of soft skills

Checking in with your team and how they’re getting to grips with their workload is good, stopping for a chat and genuinely getting to know them is even better.

In a large team, people can get lost in the shuffle and may see their manager as a distant, untouchable figure. It’s important to make everyone in your team feel valued, so even the smallest bit of communication through the day can go a long way towards building relationships between you and your team. Do your rounds through the day and have one-to-one meetings when you can. Checking in with your team and how they’re getting to grips with their workload is good, stopping for a chat and genuinely getting to know them is even better. That mutual interest and respect is invaluable; showing that you care is important to their well-being, and encourages them to reach out to you. These open communication channels make staying on top of everything easier in the long term, and gives you more insight and information when it’s time to meet with your own managers.

The importance of soft skills

1. Make yourself a people person

Closely linked to delegating tasks, giving certain members of your team the opportunity to make decisions should definitely be on your radar. Being the sole manager of decision-making is often a bad idea and stifles other members of the team. Allow middle managers the chance to make key decisions; they’re in the trenches and are more familiar with the day-to-day of what the work entails. As a result, their suggestions could be massively beneficial, and at the least, the move illustrates the trust and confidence you have in them to work with more relaxed guidance. It’s encouraging, intelligent and again, gives you more time on your schedule to get things done, too.

The importance of soft skills

2. Empower your middle managers

With so many different people of varying skillsets and personalities, the mark of a good manager is being able to pair people to the task. Not only does this add to the company efficiency and ultimately affects the bottom line, the division of labour could help to make your team happier too. For example, if certain people on your team are more introverted, then consider having them deal with research-based tasks. Likewise, the extroverts on the team will likely succeed in more outward collaboration or presentations. This is at the heart of a core aspect of effective team management, whatever the size – bringing out the full potential of every member of the team who reports to you is crucial.

The Importance of Soft Skills

3. Tailor tasks to the right people

A collection of quotes and clips from leaders, innovators and pioneers to help inspire your own management vision.

unit 3

learning from the best

John turner

Tony Scherba

arianna huffington

Warren buffett

A board-of-directors member at Berkshire Hathaway told the CEO with regards to restraint and humility: “you can tell a guy to go to hell tomorrow -- you don't give up the right. So just keep your mouth shut today, and see if you feel the same way tomorrow." Always let a cooler head prevail, we say.

Honesty and transparency are essential when leading a team, according to Yeti’s president and founder: "Your team can tell if you're hiding something. It makes them uncertain or suspicious, both of which you don't want. Lay out the rules of the game as you see them with your team. Let the team know where they are; work on a plan to go forward”.

The Huffington Post president advises against burning yourself out: “your performance will actually improve if you can commit to not only working hard but also unplugging, recharging, and renewing yourself."

A board-of-directors member at Berkshire Hathaway told the CEO with regards to restraint and humility: “you can tell a guy to go to hell tomorrow -- you don't give up the right. So just keep your mouth shut today, and see if you feel the same way tomorrow." Always let a cooler head prevail, we say.

leaning from the best

What it takes to be a great leader

What to do – and not to do – as a leader in the 21st century from a leadership expert with nearly three decades of experience to her name.

Learning from the best

ted talks: Roselinde Torres

Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe

Getting everyone on the team onboard with your vision is hugely important. Management theorist Sinek shows how to create a comfortable environment where everyone can thrive.

Learning from the best

ted talks: simon sinek

Efficient Leadership in the Digital Era

Innovation and quick-thinking tends to beat out trying to the find the most efficient methods; leadership strategist Charlene talks loosening the reins and handing them over to employees on the path to empowering them.

Learning from the best

ted talks: Charlene li