Leadership is not management.
Managers manage resources, while leaders act as role models, inspire others, are influencers and interact with others, to achieve team and organisational goals.
Leadership styles
Team leadership should be participative more than autocratic so that members of the team are encouraged to contribute in the team’s decision making processes. Team ownership together with increased motivation and commitment are the bi-products of participative team decision making.
Leaders are role models
A leader should walk the talk, set the example, and support the team. By having regard for other’s values, beliefs and expectations, a team leader is able to demonstrate integrity, credibility, respect and empathy. Integrity in a leader is shown when they are honest, trustworthy and fair. By being honest and showing integrity a leader will build trust and credibility. When a team leader is honest and is trusted, then he/she is believed in and will be followed often without question. Leadership is seen through the eyes of followers.
Leaders encourage respect and diversity
A team leader should encourage respect and diversity within the team. Building an inclusive culture within a team fosters respect, diversity of cultures, reduces stereotyped ideas, reactions, attitudes, misconceptions, and builds a team who are able to acknowledge and embrace physical, cultural and religious differences.
A team leader recognises respect of others is earned and should not be expected as a right of the position held. For those who are team leaders, encouraging and inspiring team members to achieve is equally as important as encouraging the team. Being an effective team leader is a combination of innate behaviour characteristics plus some skills and knowledge learning.