Being a team leader is not a piece of cake. It’s all about taking responsibilities, being a good psychologist and having a can-do attitude at the workplace. If you want to reach the next level in your career and become a team leader, you should learn a new set of skills in order to be able to answer all the questions your team will have.
As a leader, you will have to get to know your team members, help them achieve success and fulfil their potential, resolve conflicts, and delegate tasks to the right people. That sounds like a lot of responsibilities, doesn’t it?
On the other hand, in this role, you will be able to achieve your full potential, grow personally and professionally.
New team leaders usually make one common mistake: they think that they know it all. Indeed, they might be very good at their jobs, that’s why they want to get promoted and start leading a team. However, being a decent team leader requires so much more. To ensure success at your new job as a mentor, consider taking these courses:
Leadership Training Course
According to James Cook University Online, approximately 84% of new leaders didn’t feel confident in the first few months in a new job. That’s why business psychologists recommend taking a leadership course even before getting a promotion at work.
Leadership training courses can help to boost confidence, take a long view of your career, and pick your role model.
The most important thing you can learn during the course is how to influence other people and build a powerfully successful team. At first, you might think that being a team leader is just about keeping track of the team progress. In practice, however, you need to motivate your team, communicate your vision, and make sure all members are on the same page. Your team will not respect you and be eager to help if you intimidate or humiliate them in order to ‘show your power.’
Also, an excellent leadership training course can help you learn how to keep a healthy distance at work. You can’t be just ‘one of the guys’. Neither you can be an ice queen who lacks basic social skills. Wise leaders should know how to communicate with a team without crossing a line. And that’s something you are about to learn and practice.
Foreign language Course
There are a few reasons why you should take a foreign language course. First of all, it can help you reach another level in case your company goes into the international market. So, speaking a foreign language can allow you to enhance your leadership skills and become a global leader. Secondly, it gives you an advantage in case some of your team members are foreigners. If you speak to them in their native language, you will be able to establish a good relationship with them.
According to studies, learning a foreign language can also help to improve memory, sharp mind, and enhance the ability to multitask (which is exactly what you need for becoming a good team leader).
Public Speaking Course
You will not be able to avoid team meetings at work. It’s your responsibility to lead these meetings and make them as effective as possible. If speaking to more than three people at the same time is stressful for you, consider taking a course in public speaking. The professional trainers can teach you how to speak so that others will listen. Also, they will help to boost your confidence and improve critical thinking skills.
Leaders should have the capacity to drive a change, and the ability to speak in public can help to achieve it.
Things get complicated when you’re in an executive-level position. Aside from regular public speaking instances, you will likely have to deal with media as well. In this case, executive media training would be necessary to prepare you for any challenges you may face and help you nurture a positive image that keeps stakeholders happy.
Organization Course
In order to construct and coordinate other people’s work processes, you should stay organized. An effective leader should lead by example. If you keep forgetting what you have promised to your colleagues, you shouldn’t expect them to keep their promises.
Organization course can help you prioritize your tasks, organize multi-dimensional projects with a lot of people involved in it. Also, you will be able to learn more about time management.
After you start implementing organizational strategies to increase the effectiveness of your work, you will be able to improve your reputation in the company and stop overworking.
Social Psychology Course
Social psychology course just like leadership training, can help you understand people better. As a team leader, you should know how to deal with difficult situations, motivate people, and make them feel appreciated. Also, you will have a chance to learn how to identify the unspoken leader in your team. So, don’t underestimate the impact of emotional intelligence – learn psychology in order to become a successful professional.
The bottom line
Everyone who wants to reach the next level in their career should remember that there is no such thing as a born leader. Some people need years to learn how to be effective team leaders without having a nervous breakdown every month. To become a wise leader, you should educate yourself first. Consider taking courses in psychology, leadership, foreign languages, public speaking and organization.