LEADERSHIP AND TEAM BUILDING

INTRODUCTION:

Leadership can greatly affect an organization, both by determining its

success in the market and by defining the corporate culture. Strong, ethical
leadership is extremely important in today‘s business climate. Although there
are several different leadership styles, some of the most effective leaders are
able to tailor their management practices to suit employee needs.

Leadership is not only about being a great speaker or politician; it is

about having a vision and being able to make that vision a reality. Team
building is another important aspect of business today. Many companies use
teams to complete projects, and building an effective team is necessary to
complete a project. Teams are most successful when they have a ―coach‖ who is
able to help see them through some of the more difficult stages of the team-
building process.

Leadership strategies can vary greatly depending on the situation, but

they all can greatly impact the vision and the direction of growth within your
company. Potential success lies in the hands of your leaders. It‘s important for
those in leadership positions to have a clear vision for their teams, and having a
strategic plan can play a big part in that. That being said, a strategic leadership
plan would not be complete without involving team building. Your teams are
your future; thus leaders must understand how team building can help build you
a better future.

1. Create Motivation

Leaders not only need to feel motivated, but need to be prepared to

motivate others. Nothing drives motivation in the work place better than your
team having a clear understanding of their mission or vision. Being challenged,
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and the overall feeling of being a part of a successful and trusted team that
comes with completing a challenge, increases motivation even further. Leaders
who facilitate team building encourage all of this, plus give all those involved a
chance to feel appreciated for their individual talents. What could be more
empowering

2. Build Better Communication

One of the most important things a leader can do is foster

communication between members of their team. Whether it‘s in the form of
mediating a dispute, or making sure everyone‘s voice is being heard, it‘s
important for a leader to make sure lines of communication are clear. Team
building activities and games encourage discussion, friendly debates and open
the floor for ideas and contributions from the team to spill out.

3. Build Better Problem Solving Skills

Leaders often end up in the role of problem-solver. While this is an

important skill for a leader to have, it‘s also important to recognize and
strengthen problem solving skills within your team. Team building allows the
teams to search for possible solutions to a problem, make decisions, experiment
with different course of actions and give each other helpful feedback. They

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quickly learn that to be successful as a team they must work together. These
skills are easily transferable to any situation they find themselves in next!

4. Open up Social Gates

Strong leaders will recognize the roles that social bonds play in the
effectiveness of a team. Simply put: people who like each other will work better
together. Barriers are broken down and new trust walls are built. When you host
a team building event, teams are able to learn about each other through the
power of play. You want your teams to feel comfortable with each other and be
able to learn from each other. Being able to socialize and appreciate your team
is just as important as getting the work done is.

5. Learn Strategic ways to Utilize your Teams Strengths

Team building allows each member to learn more about each other and
themselves. A good team is made up of introverts, extroverts and many different
personalities and strengths. Learning how to use this knowledge is another key
to being a successful team leader. Different activities give teams a chance to
strategically think, act or experiment with different options of how to
accomplish goals. Leaders are able to utilize this time to figure out how to
maximize strengths, that can be transferred to work related projects.

PURSUING A LEADERSHIP ROLE

When pursuing a leadership role in an organization, it is important to gain

insight into effective leadership.

First hand Experience

Draw upon your first hand experience in leadership roles; think of the
lessons you have learned from leading clubs, teams, or other groups.

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Leader Memoirs

It is also important to read about other leaders. Most world leaders read
books about leaders whom they admire. The books provide important insights
into what it takes to be a leader and how to make decisions.

Find a Mentor

Learning from an accomplished leader is a great way to improve your

own leadership abilities; find someone in your organization or community
whose leadership you admire and ask this person to serve as your mentor; they
will probably be flattered and happy to help.

Research

It is important to research management and leadership trends and to learn

skills and techniques that are relevant to the particular field in which you are
working so that you can then implement them.

LEADERS AND THEIR STYLES

Good leadership is about acquiring and honing skills. Leadership

skills enable you to be a role model for a team in any environment. With great
leadership qualities, successful leaders come in all shapes and sizes: in the
home, at school, or at the workplace.

The following is a list of characteristics of a leader who successfully

leads a great team:

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1. Stay Positive, Even in the Worst Situations

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901. Disney became one of the
best-known motion picture producers in the world. He is particularly noted for
being a film producer and a popular showman, as well as an innovator in
animation and theme park design.

His first success was through the series, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit which was
created by the Disney studio for Charles Mintz of Universal Studios. Co-
founded Walt Disney Productions, now known as The Walt Disney Company.
Today, this company has annual revenues of approximately U.S. $35 billion and
his staff created including Mickey Mouse, a character for which Disney himself
was the original voice.

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 cupcakes or beers on Fridays can
make the 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
figure out ways to keep the team motivated to solve the problems.

Walt Disney (1901-1966), had his share of hardships and challenges; and
like any great leader, he managed to stay positive and find new opportunities. In
1928, Disney found that his film producer, Charles Mintz, wanted to reduce his
payments for the Oswald series. Mintz threatened to cut ties entirely if Disney

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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.

What Can I Learn from Walt Disney

Break down huge challenges into smaller ones and find ways to tackle
them one by one.

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

2. Exhibit Confidence Everywhere

Elon Reeve Musk is a South African-born American entrepreneur and

businessman who founded X.com in 1999 (which later became PayPal), SpaceX
in 2002 and Tesla Motors in 2003. Musk became a multimillionaire in his late
20s when he sold his start-up company, Zip2, to a division of Compaq
Computers.

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

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want people to look up to you for inspiration, not so they can punch you in the
face.

Confidence is important 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 down hill from there.

Elon Musk is a great example of a leader with confidence. He truly

believes that Tesla will be successful, which he has shown many times through
his actions. He converted 532,000 stock options at $6.63 each, their value on
Dec. 4, 2009, before Tesla went public. It was a hefty bargain considering
Tesla‘s stock price stood at around $195 per share at that time. He doesn‘t
apologize for his beliefs and has drawn fire from just about everyone for his
political actions.

What Can I Learn from Elon Musk

You can‘t instantly become a very confident person, but all the small things
you do every day will gradually make you more confident:

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  List 10 things you like about yourself every day (something different
every day), and you‘ll be more confident about yourself.
 Work on your strengths, do your best to enhance them.

3. Have a Sense of Humour

Barack Obama, in full Barack Hussein Obama II, (born August 4,

1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.), 44th president of the United States (2009–17)
and the first African American to hold the office. Before winning the
presidency, Obama represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate (2005–08). He was
the third African American to be elected to that body since the end
of Reconstruction (1877). In 2009 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize ―for
his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation
between peoples.‖

It‘s 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. It would probably be best if you weren‘t stringing up a
noose for yourself in the corner. 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 work place.

As president, Barack Obama exuded confidence and calm during stressful

situations. But he was also known for his ―dad jokes‖, his genuinely funny
speeches at the White House Correspondents‘ Dinner, and appearing on Zack
Galifianakis‘s Between Two Ferns. Obama‘s sense of humour made him

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grounded, realistic, and honest – no doubt that helped during some tense
moments in the White House!

What Can I Learn from Barak Obama?

Laugh at yourself. Confident people laugh about their own silly mistakes,
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 inspirations from the internet.

4. Embrace Failures and Manage Set Backs

Henry Ford (1863–1947) was an industrialist who changed the face of

automobile manufacture in America, becoming the epitome of American
Capitalism. He lent his name to ‗Fordism‘ – efficient mass production.

No matter how hard you try to avoid it, failures will happen; 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.

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 Great leaders do in fact lead, even when they‘re faced with setbacks.

Henry Ford experienced a major setback after designing and improving

the Ford Quadricycle. He founded the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899,
but the resulting cars they produced did not live up to his standards and were
too expensive. The company dissolved in 1901. Ford took this in stride and
formed the Henry Ford Company. The sales were slow and the company had
financial problems; it wasn‘t until 1903 that the Ford Motor Company was
successful and put the Ford on the map.

What Can I Learn from Henry Ford

Get to the root cause of any problem so you can prevent it from
happening again and learn from the mistake.

To do this, use the 5 Whys problem solving framework.

By asking ―why‖ for 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.

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5. Make Decisions Based on Lessons Learned in the Past

It‘s safe to say that all great leaders will have to enter unchartered waters
at some point during their career (figuratively, of course). Because of this, they
have to 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 are able to connect the present
challenges with the lessons learned in the past to make decisions and take
actions promptly.

You can either recall what you‘ve learned from your memories, or search
from 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. 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.

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What Can I Learn from Warren Buffett

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
future, take these lessons as references.

TEAM BUILDING GAMES

1. Blind Drawing

Similar to Charades but with a twist, Blind Drawing is a team-building

activity that can be done in groups of two. All you need is pen and paper or marker,
a mini whiteboard and an eraser. The two participants sit back to back. Only one
person should have the drawing materials. The other is handed a picture, and must
make sure that the other cannot see it.

They are given 60 seconds to describe what is in the picture, by shapes and
indirect descriptions. They can‘t say, ―Draw a bee on a rose.‖ But, they can say
adjectives like, ―Buzz, yellow and black, spring, blooming, etc.‖ When the time
ends, groups should compare their drawings. It can be comical to see how bad they
usually turn out. The game can get people laughing and highlights how difficult
giving instructions can be and how important it is to communicate clearly.

2. Have You Ever Focus: Get Moving, Get To Know One Another:

In two facing lines, tape small pieces of paper to mark spots for people to
stand on. If you have 20 people, make 19 spots. Leave enough room between
the lines for plenty of movement. The person without a spot stands in the
middle and asks a question. ―Have you ever eaten a kiwi?‖ Anyone who can

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say, ―Yes‖, must then leave their space and find a new one. They can‘t stay in
the same spot or move to a spot immediately to their left or right.

Whoever is left without a spot now asks the next question. As a

moderator of the game, don‘t be afraid to ―accidentally‖ not find a spot and be
in the middle. In doing so, you can change the tone of the game to more serious
questions or more humorous questions, depending on the group dynamic.

3. Tied Up
In this activity, divide groups up into teams of 2 to 4. Form members into circles
facing each other and use rope or shoe strings to tie their hands together. Then, give
them a task that they must complete together with their hands tied. A few examples
of tasks that you can use are:

 Make a sandwich.
 Tie a ribbon.
 Navigate through an obstacle course.
 Complete a jigsaw puzzle.

Because everyone‘s hands are tied, it will require the effort of each person to
complete the task. The constraints can increase their creativity and push them to
think outside-of-the-box.

4. Conducted Story
Stories are powerful. In many ways, it is your story and how you tell it that
makes people connect with your business. Your team members are storytellers.

To do a Conducted Story, groups stand in a line. One person may act as the
conductor, who is responsible for moving the story along. The first person starts the
story with a sentence like, ―Mike went to the supermarket because...‖ The next

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person continues the story, ―He needed eggs to bake a cake for.‖ The story
continues on like this until it reaches the last person in line.

The conducted story is a listening exercise that requires every team member
to pay attention to what the others have said. It also stresses the importance of
telling a seamless story and that unity and strong communication are needed to do
that.

5. Balloon in Water
The balloon in water activity is a great way to see how your team solves
problems together, particularly when faced with limited resources. Each group must
immerse an inflated balloon in a bucket of water for a minimum of 5 seconds. They
can only use the provided materials to complete the activity.

Each group gets:

 Bucket of water
 Balloon
 Brick
 5 disposable straws
 5 paper clips
 3 binder clips
 1 plastic bag
 String (20cm)
 Tape (20cm)
 Scissors
 3 binder clips

The brick goes in the bottom of the bucket of water. Teams have a minute to
strategize and flesh out their plan and only 5 minutes to do the activity.

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RULES:

Only the provided materials can be used during the challenge. The 3 binder
clips and inflated balloon given to the team cannot be altered in any way. Before
starting the activity, the team has one minute to plan and they have to plan without
touching the materials.After planning, the team is given 5 minutes to execute their
plan. The balloon must be fully immersed in the water before the 5 minutes is over.
The balloon must remain immersed for at least 5 seconds, and the team must notify
the trainer(s) when they are ready to be timed.

CONCLUSION:

Successful leaders are able to influence others. They use their innate
qualities to inspire a workforce, a team, or a nation to achieve goals. Leaders
can see beyond themselves and beyond the task at hand to look at achieving
long-term goals by utilizing their strengths combined with the strengths of
others. Effective leaders are able to manage relationships with others and create
positive outcomes.

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