The latest issue of Successnet – BNI’s international newsletter; contains an article by Brian Tracy. In this article Brian talks about the qualities of a great leader and how the secret of successful teams is to support your team. What he is talking about of course is Servant Leadership – something that is becoming something of a theme on this blog. This is what Brian has to say about it:
In part two of “Working Well with Others”, I covered the main reason why teams do not function well—and that is the lack of clarity. If people are unclear of what they are supposed to accomplish, they can’t fully contribute to the team.
As a team player, you need to be absolutely clear about what is expected of you. If for any reason you are not sure, ask until you have no doubt. Then get busy, do exactly what is expected of you, and do it well.
Remember, in all your interactions with your team, your role is to be supportive and helpful. Your role is not to challenge, criticize, or argue, but to look for solutions and for opportunities to help other people make their maximum contribution as well. When you sit in on a team meeting, you are “onstage.” Everyone is watching you. The best team players offer suggestions on how things can be done better. The best team members are always offering to help other people after the meetings to get on top of some aspect of their work. This focus on collaboration and cooperation is seen by everybody and marks you as a person to be both liked and respected.
Many men and women have kicked their careers into the stratosphere by taking on a small responsibility and doing such a good job with it that they came to the attention of important people both inside and outside their organizations.
