2023 LEADERSHIP

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP: What is best definition of leadership?

“The action of leading a group of people or an organization.” That's how

the Oxford Dictionary defines leadership. In simple words, leadership is
about taking risks and challenging the status quo. Leaders motivate
others to achieve something new and better.

Benefits of Identifying Critical Roles

Identifying critical roles is the first step in six-step succession planning

process. Every subsequent step depends on identifying critical roles well.
Other benefits of identifying critical roles include helping you to:

 Prioritize your succession planning process.

 Prioritize employee development efforts.
 Understand your company’s operations.
 Think strategically about who is on your team and why.
 Identify roles that have a strong impact on your business.
 Identify roles that have a unique skill or knowledge base.
 See trends in external and internal candidate availability.
 Establish a summary of critical people and positions in your
organization.

Which Roles to Include in Succession Planning

The Critical Roles Identification Questionnaire asks you to list all the roles
in your company that are important to operations. While you are likely to
list your C-suite leaders and senior managers first, it’s also important to
take a step back and look beyond management. Are there any lynchpin
roles at other levels – for example, among administrative staff or IT? Be
sure to consider both essential people and essential roles to target when
creating your succession plan.

Once you have identified each of your critical roles, the next step in the
succession planning process is to rate each role on the following five
criteria:

1. Urgency
2. Impact
3. Skills
4. Internal Talent
5. External Talent
On a scale from 1-5, indicate your level of concern for each role at each
criterion. Use higher ratings to indicate areas of greater concern.

Identifying Critical Roles for Succession

1. Urgency

In the context of succession planning, urgency refers to how likely it is

that a role is going to be vacant soon. Based on past conversations and
eligibility to retire, indicate how quickly you anticipate needing to fill the
role. Roles where the incumbent is planning to stay for more than five
years should be considered low urgency (1-2). Roles where the incumbent
is planning to leave within three years should be considered urgent (4-5).
Be sure to take into consideration that an employee may also be offered
or look opportunities elsewhere.

2. Impact

On this questionnaire, ‘impact’ refers to the extent to which a vacancy

would affect your organization. Impactful roles are those which allow
businesses to operate as usual. In other words, they are gatekeepers, task
completers, and decision-makers. Impactful roles might not always be the
most obvious ones, so make sure you take time to consider whether an
overlooked position lower down in the organization’s hierarchy might
really be a critical point of support.

3. Skills

Consider whether the roles you listed require any specialized skills or
knowledge. Evaluate not only the skills needed to be qualified for the role,
but also the institutional knowledge that is needed to be successful in this
role. Understanding the level of skill needed for a role does more than
indicate how critical the role is – it is also important information that will
be used to identify qualified succession candidates, set development
goals, and/or recruit and on-board if hiring externally.
4. Internal Talent

Use this column to evaluate how long it would take for internal succession
candidates to become ready to fill each role. Roles for which you will
have multiple succession candidates ready in 1-3 years should be
considered lower urgency (score 1-2). Roles for which few candidates will
be ready, and they won’t be ready for 5+ years should be considered
higher urgency (score 4-5). Collectively (column total), this score will be
an indicator of the strength of your succession bench.

5. External Talent

Although promoting from within is generally more effective than hiring

externally, some cases will inevitably require you to look beyond your
organization. For this reason, it’s important to know how difficult it will be
to fill a critical role with an external candidate. Higher scores indicate
greater difficulty in finding external hires and indicate a stronger need for
succession planning and internal talent pool development.

Deciding What Roles are Critical for Succession

After ranking each criterion, add your scores and record the total for each
role. Roles with higher scores indicate greater need for succession
planning, either because the role will be vacated soon, losing the position
would seriously impact the business, the role requires specialized skills or
knowledge, or there is little internal or external talent available to fill the
position.

Prioritize Succession Planning for Key Positions

The final step in filling out your Critical Role Identification Questionnaire
is to decide. Use the asterisk box to mark which roles you identify as
critical based on a minimum threshold for the total number of points. We
recommend using 16 as a default cut-off for critical roles, as these roles
will be urgent, impactful, specialized, and with little internal or external
talent available for on-boarding. Thresholds may also be set lower. The
lower you set your threshold, the more proactive or risk-adverse your
succession planning process will be.
Once you are ready to start planning, begin with the roles you’ve given the
highest score; this will help you prioritize your efforts and ensure you’re
addressing the organization’s greatest need first. Note that by nature all
roles listed on the Critical Roles Identification Questionnaire will be
essential to the success of your business. This means that you should
invest in a succession planning process for each.

It is possible you will find some of the results surprising. If a critical role
scored low on this template, it may have an organic leadership
pipeline feeding into it. Take time to investigate how potential succession
candidates were groomed and ensure you continue to invest in this
practice by rewarding leaders who mentor their subordinates. Finally,
after addressing high urgency roles, take time to formalize the succession
planning procedure for these low-urgency roles as well.

Critical Roles are defined as having higher skills value (i.e., impact on
business outcomes) and higher skills uniqueness (i.e., cost). Case Studies
in Critical Roles. We present three case studies that illustrate the adverse
consequences of failing to identify Critical Roles.

A church leader needs to be a Godly leader, a role model, and a guidance

giver – not only for your church members but for everyone else in the
community too. They mentor and encourage people, furthering their faith
and ensuring that they have a positive church experience.

When you think of the best people to fill church leadership roles and
responsibilities, you don’t consider the faint-hearted. A church leader
needs to be a Godly leader, a role model, and a guidance giver – not only
for your church members but for everyone else in the community too. They
mentor and encourage people, furthering their faith and ensuring that they
have a positive church experience. Helping to make your church a warm
and welcoming community is an important responsibility of church
leaders. Church leadership roles and responsibilities can't be fully
understood without a clear understanding of the unique qualities of each
role. Having good church leadership will also help retain members and
keep the church from struggling. Keep reading to learn the 12 church
leadership roles and responsibilities to enhance your ministry.
1. Associate Minister

A senior pastor can appoint one or many associate ministers. These roles
are typically unpaid unless the individual is hired as part of the church's
administrative staff in another capacity.

Associate ministers are men and women who are aspiring to become
senior pastors. They have received some level of training and could
already have gone through ordination. Ordained ministers can carry the
title of associate pastor.

Some individuals see their role as on-the-job training. They can provide
support by filling in for the pastor as a speaker during his absence. Their
duties can also include administering communion to the sick and shut-in
and presiding over funerals for non-members.

2. Executive Minister of Administration

The executive minister of administration is a key position in most

churches, likened to a corporate vice president role. The person serving in
this capacity is second in command and will take the helm during the
pastor's absence.

It is wise to fill these church leadership roles and responsibilities with a

pastor because they can serve in that capacity when the senior pastor is
on sabbatical. As a matter of respect and protocol, it's best to have
someone of this calibre overseeing the associate ministers.

This executive position also oversees the church's staff. Not only do you
want someone with ministry experience, but they should also have
business and leadership training.

Having an executive minister of administration has many benefits. The

most important benefit is that it frees up the pastor's time to attend
community meetings and advocate for church funding and other
resources.
3. Minister of Finance

When you think of the best people to fill church leadership roles and
responsibilities, you don’t consider the faint-hearted. A church leader
needs to be a Godly leader, a role model, and a guidance giver – not only
for your church members but for everyone else in the community too. They
mentor and encourage people, furthering their faith and ensuring that they
have a positive church experience. Helping to make your church a warm
and welcoming community is an important responsibility of church
leaders. Church leadership roles and responsibilities can't be fully
understood without a clear understanding of the unique qualities of each
role. Having good church leadership will also help retain members and
keep the church from struggling. Keep reading to learn the 12 church
leadership roles and responsibilities to enhance your ministry.

Key Church Leadership Roles and Responsibilities to Support Senior

Pastors

Churches small and large cannot operate under the silo of a senior pastor.
In churches that thrive, the senior pastor has a strong team, similar to the
structure of a corporation.

The senior pastor acts as the CEO, and their leadership team oversees the
various departments within the business. The Board of Deacons often
serves as the Board of Directors.

Without structure, the pastor would bear all running the church. The
pastor would become overwhelmed and ineffective, but there is also the
risk of their leadership becoming too powerful and unbalanced.

Churches, like any other organization, must have checks and balances. To
grow your ministry, it's essential to fill key leadership positions with
qualified individuals who share the pastor's vision and are true believers.
1. Associate Minister

A senior pastor can appoint one or many associate ministers. These roles
are typically unpaid unless the individual is hired as part of the church's
administrative staff in another capacity.

Associate ministers are men and women who are aspiring to become
senior pastors. They have received some level of training and could
already have gone through ordination. Ordained ministers can carry the
title of associate pastor.

Some individuals see their role as on-the-job training. They can provide
support by filling in for the pastor as a speaker during his absence. Their
duties can also include administering communion to the sick and shut-in
and presiding over funerals for non-members.

2. Executive Minister of Administration

The executive minister of administration is a key position in most

churches, likened to a corporate vice president role. The person serving in
this capacity is second in command and will take the helm during the
pastor's absence.

It is wise to fill these church leadership roles and responsibilities with a

pastor because they can serve in that capacity when the senior pastor is
on sabbatical. As a matter of respect and protocol, it's best to have
someone of this calibre overseeing the associate ministers.

This executive position also oversees the church's staff. Not only do you
want someone with ministry experience, but they should also have
business and leadership training.

Having an executive minister of administration has many benefits. The

most important benefit is that it frees up the pastor's time to attend
community meetings and advocate for church funding and other
resources.
3. Minister of Finance

Church leadership roles and responsibilities include handling large sums

of cash. Although churches carry tax-exempt status, they still require
someone in a church leadership role to oversee their finances.

The Minister of Finance can be in a paid or unpaid position. It depends on

the actual responsibilities of the person in the position.

In a small or medium-size church, the minister of finance will oversee the

collection of offerings. They determine the procedures for counting the
money, plus how and when it's deposited at the back.

For a large church or megachurch, the minister of finance takes on the

role of the comptroller. They oversee every aspect of the church's
finances. It's a good idea to choose someone who is a Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) or has extensive accounting experience.

If they are not a CPA, the individual will become the point of contact for
the church's external CPA. They will supply the necessary reports and act
as a liaison between the CPA and the church's pastor.

The finance teams within the church's administration report to this key
figure. These include:

 Accounting departments
 Bookstore staff

 Special events

The minister of finance also oversees the board of trustees and works
with the church deacons and associate pastors.

4. Minister of Education

When you think of the best people to fill church leadership roles and
responsibilities, you don’t consider the faint-hearted. A church leader
needs to be a Godly leader, a role model, and a guidance giver – not only
for your church members but for everyone else in the community too. They
mentor and encourage people, furthering their faith and ensuring that they
have a positive church experience. Helping to make your church a warm
and welcoming community is an important responsibility of church
leaders. Church leadership roles and responsibilities can't be fully
understood without a clear understanding of the unique qualities of each
role. Having good church leadership will also help retain members and
keep the church from struggling. Keep reading to learn the 12 church
leadership roles and responsibilities to enhance your ministry.

Key Church Leadership Roles and Responsibilities to Support Senior

Pastors

Churches small and large cannot operate under the silo of a senior pastor.
In churches that thrive, the senior pastor has a strong team, like the
structure of a corporation.

The senior pastor acts as the CEO, and their leadership team oversees the
various departments within the business. The Board of Deacons often
serves as the Board of Directors.

Without structure, the pastor would bear all of running the church. The
pastor would become overwhelmed and ineffective, but there is also the
risk of their leadership becoming too powerful and unbalanced.

Churches, like any other organization, must have checks and balances. To
grow your ministry, it's essential to fill key leadership positions with
qualified individuals who share the pastor's vision and are true believers.

1. Associate Minister

A senior pastor can appoint one or many associate ministers. These roles
are typically unpaid unless the individual is hired as part of the church's
administrative staff in another capacity.
Associate ministers are men and women who are aspiring to become
senior pastors. They have received some level of training and could
already have gone through ordination. Ordained ministers can carry the
title of associate pastor.

Some individuals see their role as on-the-job training. They can provide
support by filling in for the pastor as a speaker during his absence. Their
duties can also include administering communion to the sick and shut-in
and presiding over funerals for non-members.

2. Executive Minister of Administration

The executive minister of administration is a key position in most

churches, likened to a corporate vice president role. The person serving in
this capacity is second in command and will take the helm during the
pastor's absence.

It is wise to fill these church leadership roles and responsibilities with a

pastor because they can serve in that capacity when the senior pastor is
on sabbatical. As a matter of respect and protocol, it's best to have
someone of this calibre overseeing the associate ministers.

This executive position also oversees the church's staff. Not only do you
want someone with ministry experience, but they should also have
business and leadership training.

Having an executive minister of administration has many benefits. The

most important benefit is that it frees up the pastor's time to attend
community meetings and advocate for church funding and other
resources.

3. Minister of Finance

Church leadership roles and responsibilities include handling large sums

of cash. Although churches carry tax-exempt status, they still require
someone in a church leadership role to oversee their finances.
The Minister of Finance can be in a paid or unpaid position. It depends on
the actual responsibilities of the person in the position.

In a small or medium-size church, the minister of finance will oversee the

collection of offerings. They determine the procedures for counting the
money, plus how and when it's deposited at the back.

For a large church or megachurch, the minister of finance takes on the

role of the comptroller. They oversee every aspect of the church's
finances. It's a good idea to choose someone who is a Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) or has extensive accounting experience.

If they are not a CPA, the individual will become the point of contact for
the church's external CPA. They will supply the necessary reports and act
as a liaison between the CPA and the church's pastor.

The finance teams within the church's administration report to this key
figure. These include:

 Accounting departments
 Bookstore staff

 Special events

The minister of finance also oversees the board of trustees and works
with the church deacons and associate pastors.

4. Minister of Education

The minister of education oversees the education portion of a church's

various ministries. Education ministries include:

 New member's courses

 Sunday School curriculum

 Vacation Bible School
 Ministry training courses
The minister of education will play a pivotal role in the curriculum for the
youth ministry. They may also have input if the church has a day-care or
private school.

The qualifications for biblical church leadership in this capacity should

include formal training or experience in education. This person must also
could oversee Christian education for toddlers to seniors.

5. Minister of Music and Performing Arts

One of the most revered church leadership roles and responsibilities is in

the contemporary church is the minister of music. If a church has an
outstanding choir and performing arts ministry, it becomes a magnet for
younger generations and families with children.

The church leadership role and responsibilities of the minister of music

are to recruit members to sing in various church choirs. These choirs can
include:

 Mass choirs
 Senior choir

 Young adult choir

 Men's choir
 Children's choir

The minister of music conducts choir rehearsals, hires musicians, secures

copyrights for recorded music performances, and approves community
performances. This ministry leader also works with the church's school
and day-care, if applicable.

Many churches today also have performing arts ministries. These

ministries encompass the following:

 Theatrical performances
 Liturgical dancers
 Mime performers
 Church choir competitions
Ministers of music are typically salaried positions with benefits.

6. Executive Leader of Ministries

Contemporary churches go beyond biblical church leadership when

addressing the needs of their communities. Churches have various
ministries. The bigger the congregation, the more ministries a church can
offer.

For this reason, a church can have numerous non-traditional ministries

that operate in an unorthodox manner.

Executive leaders of church ministries oversee each ministry and ensure

the ministry leader is operating within the church bylaws.

The bylaws have rules that regulate ministries, and these rules can
include a term limit on how long someone can serve in a leadership
capacity. The executive leader of ministries is charged with overseeing
the transition of ministry leaders out of one role and into another.

Qualifications for church leadership over ministries require strong

leadership and business acumen skills. The individual must be organized
and works well under pressure.

Additional duties include working with ministry leaders to develop a

schedule of events, prepare an annual budget and organize recruitment
events. The executive leader of ministries also serves as a mediator to
resolve disputes amongst ministry members.

7. Youth Pastor

Youth pastors are paid church employees. The youth pastor has similar
church leadership roles and responsibilities as the church's senior pastor.
The youth department has a separate sanctuary and youth facilities on
larger church campuses.

Depending on the size of the church, the youth & children's ministry may
have an administrative assistant and other church leadership roles similar
to the main church.
Having the ability to relate well with youth is an essential characteristic
of the youth pastor. They have the task of creating programs for youth,
designing a youth-friendly atmosphere, and choosing volunteers.

Youth pastors today are often of the millennial generation. They bring new
ideas and concepts to attract youth to the church. This is done by
engaging youth with technology and promoting Christian learning through
creativity.

It is not lost on today's church that the youth will become the future of the
church. You will see youth ministries with budgets that mirror those of the
media ministry and performing arts ministry.

8. Director of Youth Services

Underneath the youth pastor is a church role known as the director of

youth services. These church leadership roles and responsibilities are in
line with the executive leader of ministries. However, it does not have the
same level of responsibility.

The director of youth services serves as a liaison for the youth pastor and
will work closely with their administrative assistant. The role calls for the
individual to oversee activities and groups within the youth ministry.

The youth choir and performing arts ministries fall under the direction of
the minister of music. However, the director of youth services works with
the youth to create the concepts and activities.

The youth pastor relies heavily on this church role to coordinate with
community organizations interested in partnerships. They are instrumental
in creating community engagement are service opportunities.

The people in church leadership serving youth must be energetic and love
to work with youth. They bear the responsibility of bringing up the next
generation of worshippers. You'll see youth ministries participating in
Christian retreats, youth outreach and mission work to build future
leaders.
9. Minister of Outreach

The minister of outreach looks for opportunities for the church to serve
the community. The goal is to reach the unchurched through unique
discipleship ideas.

The person in this role must have strong communication skills,

compassion, and the ability to organize events using your volunteers. Most
outreach opportunities are service based, which are extended to people
who need services.

Some examples of outreach ministry include neighbourhood clean-ups,

home repair for the elderly and drives.

The minister of outreach also come up with ideas administered within the
church on an ongoing basis. Examples include:

 After-school tutoring

 Baby supplies
 Career counselling
 Clothes closets
 Drug addiction support groups
 Financial planning

 Prisoner re-entry programs

 School supply drives
 Single parent support groups

In some instances, community-based organizations will ask to use the

church as an extension of their services. This can come in the form of
sponsoring Boy and Girl Scouts troops. The church may also partner with
non-profits to offer food drives, HIV testing, or social services festivals.

10. Director of Evangelism Ministries

Evangelism ministries are the heartbeat of the church. The bible tells us
to go out and minister to the lost and downtrodden. The director of the
evangelism ministry understands the church's role of going into the
community and knocking on doors.

This individual must have compassion and the willingness to go the extra
mile for others. They have exceptional knowledge of bible scriptures and
community resources. They work in conjunction with the director of
outreach.

The Evangelism ministry must have a good working rapport with various
ministries because their church roles and responsibilities may cross.

The ministry relies heavily on volunteers. Their duties include going door-
to-door to share the bibles and the ways to salvation. They also pass out
tracts at local events like parades and festivals.

The director of the evangelism ministry also works with the prison system
to bring in volunteers to minister to prisoners. Upon their release, the
church can serve as a support system.

Types of Leadership Styles

 Autocratic.
 Democratic.
 Laissez-faire.
 Transformational.

Why do leaders need to be dynamic?

Instead of resisting change, leaders need to develop the flexibility and

agility that will allow them to adapt to the new challenges. Instead of
chasing every opportunity, leaders need to keep an eye on the horizon
while continuously adjusting to the circumstances in front of them.
Leaders need to be dynamic.

What does a dynamic manager mean?

Definition. Dynamic managerial capabilities refer to the capacity of

managers to create, extend or modify the way in which an organization
makes a living in for-profit firms, or fulfils its mission in non-profit
organizations, including through changes in organizational resources and
capabilities.

What are the 3 main types of leadership?

Three types of leadership styles in business: autocratic,

democratic,
laissez-faire. Each, of course, comes with its own advantages and
disadvantages.

What is the best leadership style?

The democratic leadership style is one of the most effective because it

encourages everyone to participate in all processes, share their opinions,
and know that you will hear them. It also encourages employees to be
engaged because they know you will hear their feedback.

7 most common leadership style?

The seven primary leadership styles are:

(1) Autocratic,
(2) Authoritative,
(3) Pacesetting,
(4) Democratic,
(5) Coaching,
(6) Affiliative,
(7) Laissez-faire.

Dynamic leadership qualities

Dynamic leaders understand the importance of inspiring others and

achieving success through teamwork. Rather than trying to dominate
conversations or micromanage tasks, they help nurture the growth of all
team members, giving them the space that they need to grow within their
roles.
What are the 5 qualities of a dynamic team?

What makes a good team?

 Mutual trust and openness. A team with positive group dynamics

tends to have team members who trust each other.
 Similar work priorities.
 Shared purposes.
 Mutual agreements.
 Acceptance of constructive feedback.
 Focus on diversity.
 Clarity within tasks and roles.
 Strong active listening skills.

Teamwork is integral to success in many industries. Strong team

dynamics can lead to better work outcomes, higher productivity, and
greater customer satisfaction. Knowing what makes a good team can help
you create a thriving team at the workplace. In this article, we look at
what makes a successful team, list the benefits of good teamwork, and
show you tips to improve teamwork.

What makes a good team?

A thriving team shares many positive attributes, and you may wonder,
'What makes a good team?' Here are some characteristics that great
teams may possess:

Mutual trust and openness

A team with positive group dynamics tends to have team members who
trust each other. Trust is an essential component of a thriving team and
usually takes time to build. Members know each other's strengths and
limitations and are willing to help each other to succeed. Trust fosters a
collaborative work environment where members trust each other to
perform their tasks. They can work towards collective decisions, and they
are held accountable for outcomes. Members freely express ideas and
feelings, both on work issues and on the group's operation, without
becoming personal or offensive.

Similar work priorities

Part of what makes a good team is the ability to manage work and
deadlines based on priorities. Members direct their efforts and spend time
on what matters most. Because the team knows that tasks have varying
importance, they focus on what has the highest priority or the greatest
impact. This helps the team align with the organisation's goals.

Shared purposes

Thriving teams share a sense of purpose. Members feel they are part of
the team as they understand their goals. From time to time, the manager
or leader evaluates the priorities and team goals to ensure they align with
the company's overarching goal.

Mutual agreements

In a dynamic team, members may make decisions together. Teams may

reach decisions through consensus, where everyone is in general
agreement and backs the decision going forward. Reaching an agreement
may involve meetings, voting or open discussions.

Acceptance of constructive feedback

Constructive feedback can help individuals and teams grow and achieve
better results. In a successful team, members are open to giving and
receiving feedback. Such feedback aims to solve problems and
accomplish an objective. An effective team might implement regular
feedback, such as weekly reviews.

Focus on diversity.

Successful teams tend to value diversity. Members recognise each

person's strengths and work preferences, which boosts performance.
Each member is valued for their unique skills or special talent. The diverse
skills, experiences, ideation and problem-solving abilities help create a
robust team that achieves more results.

Clarity within tasks and roles

Thriving teams may follow an action plan. Members may receive clear and
specific assignments from their leader, and everyone knows what is
expected of them.
Strong active listening skills

An important part of what makes a good team is that members actively

listen to each other when talking or having a discussion. Everyone's ideas
are heard. Members appreciate and recognise each other's perspectives
and feelings. Active listening fosters a culture of respect and helps
members solve conflicts amicably.

Strong conflict management

In an effective team, when divisive issues arise, members try to resolve

them quickly. When team members have different opinions, they are able
to discuss them in a respectful and productive manner. Strong conflict
management skills and processes can help teams achieve this.

Strong leadership skills

The best teams usually work under a strong leader, who provides
constructive feedback and criticism and who communicates the team's
vision and the company's mission. They may encourage collaboration and
share leadership with other members. A strong leader earns trust and
respect by inspiring team members and fostering engagement.

Frequent discussions

Good teams tend to hold lots of discussions in which every member is able
to participate. Topics are always pertinent to the group's purpose. Every
member gets a chance to share their ideas regularly.

Comfortable environment

Thriving teams often work or operate in a comfortable and relaxed

atmosphere that feels informal. In this working environment, everyone
participates and has an active interest in the group. This can help
increase happiness and create a positive workplace culture which is
important when trying to foster the elements that make a good team.

What are the benefits of good team dynamics?

Improving team relationships has many benefits. Here is how you and your
team members may benefit from a positive team dynamic:

 Better results: A team operating successfully may deliver better

results. Members can achieve more through collaboration and open
communication.
  Clearer vision: Team members often work toward the same goal or
the company's vision, which is typically larger than an individual's
contribution. This can lead to greater productivity and greater
career satisfaction.
 Greater collaboration: Higher levels of cooperation are possible
when team members work in an informal and supportive
environment.
 Greater job satisfaction: When team members feel more valued, they
may feel more satisfied with their careers. This can lead to
increased happiness.
 Faster decision-making: When team members are willing to listen to
each other, they tend to make faster decisions.
 Higher productivity: If the environment empowers members to
challenge one another in a constructive and open manner, the
positive work relationships among members are likely to make the
team more creative and productive.

What are the benefits of good team dynamics?

Improving team relationships has many benefits. Here is how you and your
team members may benefit from a positive team dynamic:

 Better results: A team operating successfully may deliver better

results. Members can achieve more through collaboration and open
communication.
 Clearer vision: Team members often work toward the same goal or
the company's vision, which is typically larger than an individual's
contribution. This can lead to greater productivity and greater
career satisfaction.
 Greater collaboration: Higher levels of cooperation are possible
when team members work in an informal and supportive
environment.
 Greater job satisfaction: When team members feel more valued, they
may feel more satisfied with their careers. This can lead to
increased happiness.
 Faster decision-making: When team members are willing to listen to
each other, they tend to make faster decisions.
 Higher productivity: If the environment empowers members to
challenge one another in a constructive and open manner, the
positive work relationships among members are likely to make the
team more creative and productive.
Tips for improving the dynamics that make a good team.

Knowing what can help your team thrive is just as important as knowing
what makes a good team. If you're in a management or team leader role,
consider using these tips to create a better team:

Encourage open communication and discussions.

Create an atmosphere where members actively listen to each other and

value everyone's ideas. Welcome dissenting opinions or differences in
perspectives during brainstorming sessions, even if the team adopts a
different decision. Allowing team members to share different points of
view encourages better decision-making.

The following are some of the many characteristics of great leaders.

What Makes a Good Leader?

Here’re 15 qualities you should master:

1. A Positive Attitude

Great leaders know that they won’t have a happy and motivated team
unless they themselves exhibit a positive attitude. This can be done by
remaining positive when things go wrong and by creating a relaxed and
happy atmosphere in the workplace.

Even some simple things like providing snacks or organizing a team happy
hour can make a world of difference. An added perk is that team members
are likely to work harder and do overtime when needed if they’re happy
and appreciated.

Even in the worst situations, such as experiencing low team morale or

team members having made a big mistake at work, a great leader stays
positive and figures out ways to keep the team motivated to solve the
problems.
Walt Disney had his share of hardships and challenges, and like any great
leader, he managed to stay positive and find new opportunities. Disney
found that his film producer, wanted to reduce his payments f threatened
to cut ties entirely if Disney didn’t accept his terms, and Disney chose to
part ways. But in leaving Oswald, Disney decided to create something
new: the iconic Mickey Mouse [1].

The key is to break down huge challenges into smaller ones and find ways
to tackle them one by one.

Think about the lessons you can learn from your mistake and jot them
down because sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn.

2. Confidence

All great leaders have to exhibit an air of confidence if they’re going to

succeed. Please don’t confuse this with self-satisfaction and arrogance.
You want people to look up to you for inspiration, not so they can punch
you in the face.

Confidence is one of the most important leadership qualities you must

have because people will be looking to you on how to behave, particularly
if things aren’t going 100% right. If you remain calm and poised, team
members are far more likely to as well. As a result, morale and
productivity will remain high, and the problem will be solved more quickly.

If you panic and give up, they will know immediately, and things will
simply go downhill from there. You can’t instantly become a very confident
person, but all the small things you do every day will gradually make you
more confident:

 List 5 things you like about yourself every day (something

different every day), and you’ll appreciate yourself more.
 Work on your strengths and do your best to enhance them.

3. A Sense of Humour

When asking what qualities of a good leader most are appreciated by

people, this is a popular answer. It is imperative for any kind of leader to
have a sense of humour, particularly when things go wrong. And they will.
Your team members are going to be looking to you for how to react in a
seemingly dire situation. You need to be able to laugh things off because
if staff morale goes down, so will productivity.

Establish this environment prior to any kind of meltdown by encouraging

humour and personal discussions in the workplace.

As a president, Barack Obama exuded confidence and calm during

stressful situations. But he was also known for his “dad jokes,” [2] his
genuinely funny speeches at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and
appearing on Zack Galifianakis’s Between Two Ferns.[3] Obama’s sense of
humour made him grounded, realistic, and honest, which no doubt helped
during some tense moments in the White House.

Learn to laugh at yourself. Confident people laugh about their own silly
mistakes, and when you do this, others will also trust you more because
you’re willing to share your experiences.

Be observant and learn from the jokes others make. You can also get a lot
of inspiration from the internet.

4. Ability to Embrace Failure

No matter how hard you try to avoid it, failures will happen and that’s
okay. You just need to know how to deal with them.

Great leaders take them in strides. They remain calm and logically think
through the situation and utilize their resources. What they don’t do is fall
apart and reveal to their team how worried they are, which leads to
negative morale, fear, and binge drinking under desks.

Great leaders do, in fact, lead, even when they’re faced with setbacks. Get
to the root cause of any problem so you can prevent it from happening
again and learn from the mistake. By asking “why” 5 times (or more) on
why something happened, you can find out the key factor that caused the
problem and can find the best solution to tackle the problem.

You’ll also learn how to prevent this from happening again in the future
after finding out a problem’s root cause.
5. Careful Listening and Feedback

This is far more complex than it sounds. Good communication skills are
essential for a great leader. You may very well understand the cave of
crazy that is your brain, but that doesn’t mean that you can adequately
take the ideas out of it and explain them to someone else.

The best leaders need to be able to communicate clearly with the people
around them. They also need to be able to interpret other people properly
and not take what they say personally.

The Dalai Lama, as a symbol of the unification of the state of Tibet,

represents and practices Buddhist values. The Dalai Lama’s leadership is
benevolent and aims toward truth and understanding, alongside the other
Buddhist precepts. This is a great example for all leaders: If you want to
give good directions to others, you must get feedback to understand the
situation properly.

Encourage communication between team members and establish an open

door policy.

Practice not interrupting team members when they’re talking. Instead,

summarize what they say and ask for feedback after you have talked
about your ideas.

6. Knowing How and When to Delegate

By now, you may be wondering how to be a good leader when you’re doing
too many things. This is where delegation comes into play.

No matter how much you might want to, you can’t do everything yourself.
Even if you could, in a team environment that would be a terrible idea,
anyway.

What makes a good leader is the realization that delegation does more
than simply alleviate personal stress levels (although that’s obviously a
nice perk). Delegating to others shows that you have confidence in their
abilities, which subsequently results in higher morale in the workplace, as
well as loyalty from your staff. They want to feel appreciated and trusted.

Although Steve Jobs was known for focusing on the smallest of details, he
knew how to delegate. By finding, cultivating, and trusting capable team
members, Jobs was able to make Apple run smoothly, even when he had
to be absent for extended periods of time.

To know when and how to delegate work to team members, you must be
very familiar with each of them:

 List out all their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities.

 Talk with your team members more to know about their
passion and interests.
Take a look at this guide and learn more about delegation: How
to Delegate Work Effectively (The Definitive Guide for Leaders)

7. Growth Mindset

Any good leader knows how important it is to develop the skills of those
around them. The best can recognize those skills early on. Not only will
development make work easier as they improve and grow, but it will also
foster morale. In addition, they may develop some skills that you don’t
possess that will be beneficial to the workplace.

Knowing how to be a leader is no easy feat. Great leaders share

their knowledge with the team and give them the opportunity to achieve.
This is how leaders gain their respect and loyalty.

It’s important to spend time talking with other team members individually
to understand them. Find out team members’ current challenges and try to
give feedback and encouragement so they will grow and do better.

8. Responsibility

When asking what makes a good leader, the importance of this trait
cannot be undermined.

Great leaders know that when it comes to their company, workplace or

whatever situation they’re in, they need to take personal responsibility for
failure. How can they expect employees to hold themselves accountable if
they themselves don’t?

The best leaders don’t make excuses; they take the blame and then work
out how to fix the problem as soon as possible. This proves that they’re
trustworthy and possess integrity. Always ask yourself what you can do
better or what you should change.

Take responsibility and think about what you can do better to prevent this
from happening next time.

9. A Desire to Learn

It’s safe to say that all great leaders will have to enter uncharted waters
at some point during their careers. Because of this, they must be able to
trust their intuition and draw on past experiences to guide them.

Great leaders know that there’s always something to learn from

everything they have experienced before. They can connect the present
challenges with the lessons learned in the past to make decisions and act
promptly.

You can either recall what you’ve learned from your memories or search
your notes (ideally, a software that you can access anywhere with things
well-organized).

Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, has mostly made
the right calls. But in dealing with huge amounts of money, Buffett has
also made several multi-million (and sometimes multi-billion) dollar
mistakes. He has stated that buying the company Berkshire Hathaway
was his biggest mistake [4]. From that poor choice, he realized that it was
unwise to pursue “improvements” and “expansions” in the existing textile
industry. Despite mistakes like this, Buffett has invested wisely, and it
shows.

To effectively learn from the past, write down lessons you’ve learned from
any mistakes you’ve made. Have all the lessons well organized, and when
similar things happen again in the future, take these lessons as
references.

10. Willingness to Understand Human Nature

The study of human nature may begin with yourself, but true leaders
aspire to understand others in equal measure.

A strong leader is aware that leading others requires a willingness on the

part of those who follow; it requires ‘buy in’ to what the leader is working
to accomplish. For this reason, a good leader will speak from the heart
and speak to the emotions of others through their passion and beliefs.

By always acting and behaving with integrity, and by speaking and leading
from a passionate set of values and beliefs, they appeal to and inspire
passion and action in others.

11. Knowing One’s Purpose

Great leaders understand that desired changes in behaviour and actions

will naturally occur in others when they feel inspired and passionate about
something. And so, true leaders share their own passion for their beliefs or
cause with others.

Having a strong, clear vision and passion for their cause means
truly understanding the ‘why’ behind what they do. Whether in business,
sales, politics, or family relationships, knowing and sharing the passion of
a clearly defined ‘why’ is critical.

Once a leader is clear on his or her ‘why’, the how (behaviour, and actions)
and what (desired result) evolve and flow naturally, without the need for
coercion or force.

12. Perseverance

Another quiet and often hidden quality of truly great leaders is

perseverance.

Creating change, bringing innovation to the market, sparking progress,

and leading others in times of adversity requires a commitment to one’s
beliefs and ideas that are not easily shaken by the inevitable challenges
and obstacles that arise.

Tenacity – following through when all you want to do is quit – requires a

strength of character that many do not take the time to cultivate in
themselves. That is what makes a good leader.

Great leaders understand the importance of staying on course, of having

the grit and determination to push forward when many would turn back.
13. Decisiveness

Leaders are frequently called upon to make decisions (some leaders may
have to make dozens of decisions every day). In fact, you could say that
making decisions is one of the key things a leader must do.

Spend some time observing highly successful leaders and you’ll see that
they are quick to make decisions. They also enjoy making decisions,
rather than stressing out like many non-leaders do when they’re asked to
decide on something.

Put yourself in the leadership bracket by developing your decision-making

skills. Start with small decisions – and then work your way up to bigger
and more difficult decisions. Once other people notice your decision-
making process, they’ll automatically see you as leadership material.

14. Empathy

The best leaders understand the feelings of their team members,

customers, and associates. They know when to praise, and when to
discuss problems (usually in private).

Without empathy, leaders will be seen as cold, harsh, and lacking

understanding. They’re also likely to be regarded as untrustworthy.

One way to ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes is to have regular

informal discussions with your colleagues. When you do this, you’ll quickly
learn their fears and desires. And when you understand why they have
these – you’ll be able to express empathy.

15. Inspire Creativity

Solutions to problems are rarely black and white. Often it takes a leader
who can “think outside the box” to come up with answers. In other words,
a leader must be creative and also help to foster creativity and innovation
throughout their team.

Creativity is not only associated with pursuits such as arts, literature, and
music, running a team can be just as creative. There will be times every
day when you need to come up with ideas and give guidelines for your
team to come up with theirs to solve problems.
What Are The 5 Qualities of A Good Leader?

 Decision Maker.
 Good Communicator.
 Sets The Example.
 Motivates Others.
 Calls Attention to Success.

 What are four qualities of an effective leader?

 Effective leaders are competent, skilled, secure, and considerate.
These leaders find time for everyone; they are genuine and
authentic in their communications and actions.