When people think about leadership, what often comes to mind is someone having subordinates, giving orders, making decisions, and being in charge. But true leadership goes beyond all of that. It’s not just about having authority or telling people what to do; it’s about doing everything you can to bring out the best in your team.

Being a team leader means truly understanding your team members. It requires knowing their strengths and weaknesses, identifying where they need support, and putting in the work to help them grow. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels valued.

A good team leader is someone who effectively guides a group toward achieving their objectives. They serve as a point of direction, ensuring that the team stays focused on its goals and maintains a cohesive workflow. Their role is to oversee the group’s progress, offer assistance when needed, and ensure that everyone is working together to meet deadlines and deliver results.

To successfully lead a team, a leader needs to have the right set of skills. So, here are 7 essential skills every team leader should have:

Being Approachable

Being an approachable leader means having a team that feels comfortable coming to you with any problem, no matter how big or small. When your team knows you’re open and receptive, it creates an atmosphere of trust and openness, allowing issues to be addressed early and ideas to flow freely.

Another aspect of being approachable is being available to meet your team members’ needs. When a team member comes to you to discuss anything, you need to be available and present to help resolve their concerns, offer advice, or simply listen.

Being a blend of the two will result in free and open workplaces, making team members feel more open and increasing productivity.

Great Communicator

A successful team leader needs to be an excellent communicator. For a team leader to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and the team’s objectives, excellent communication skills are essential. Speaking plainly while interacting with others in person or over email is an excellent approach to accomplish this. It builds trust, helps prevent confusion, and ensures issues are resolved more quickly.

When a leader speaks clearly, gives helpful feedback, and listens to the team, it creates a positive environment where everyone feels heard and works well together. It also helps keep the team informed and motivated, leading to better results.

Another aspect of communication is active listening, which means giving your full attention to someone when they are talking, without interrupting or getting distracted. This is important because it’s not just about communicating but also listening to your team members: their feedback, opinions, suggestions, complaints, and all.

Empathy

Empathy in leadership is simply the ability to see things from the subordinate’s point of view, being aware of their thoughts and feelings, and understanding their needs.

As an example, assume you’re running a team, and one of your subordinates constantly misses deadlines. Instead of becoming frustrated or reprimanding a team member, an empathetic leader would first take the time to understand the root causes. You might arrange a one-on-one meeting with the team member to understand the problem and propose solutions.

Coming down to your employees’ level is not a show of weakness but of strength, particularly in today’s corporate climate.

Delegation

A key part of any leadership position is knowing how to properly delegate tasks to your subordinates.

It’s about trusting your team and assigning the right tasks to the right people, playing to their strengths and skills. When done well, delegation not only helps the team reach its goals faster but also empowers individuals to shine and grow. It also allows the leader to focus on the bigger picture while ensuring everyone is contributing to the team’s success.

Strong Industry Knowledge

You cannot lead people if you do not possess good knowledge of your industry. Think of all the great business leaders in the world—Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Mark Zuckerberg. What do these three men have in common beyond being billionaires? They are quite knowledgeable about the industries in which they operate. That’s one of the reasons they’re so esteemed and decorated.

If a team leader lacks sufficient understanding of the industry in which they work, subordinates may lose trust in their decisions and actions. Therefore, as a team leader, always strive to continually expand your industry knowledge. Stay informed about trends, developments, and best practices in your field.

Building & Sustaining Relationships

Building and maintaining relationships is one of the most important traits a good leader can have, and it is best to start developing relationships with your team members as soon as possible rather than later.

Bringing everyone together, especially at the start, is critical not just to see how the team interacts but also to reinforce your status as the team’s leader. Building relationships is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. Regular check-ins, acknowledging achievements, and addressing concerns promptly help sustain these connections and create trust over time.

Motivation & Inspiration

A team leader needs to learn how to properly motivate and inspire their team members. Every team has different ways to motivate and inspire its members, but one way to do it is by complimenting your subordinates and giving feedback.

Giving genuine compliments helps boost morale and shows your team that their hard work is recognized and appreciated. It creates a positive environment where team members feel valued and are more likely to stay engaged and motivated.

Constructive feedback, on the other hand, guides how to improve and grow. When offering feedback, it’s important to be specific and actionable. Instead of just pointing out what went wrong, provide clear guidance on how to improve.

For example, if a team member missed a deadline, explain what could have been done differently and suggest practical steps for better time management in the future. Combine this with positive reinforcement by recognizing and rewarding their efforts and successes.

As a leader, motivating and inspiring your team should never come from using fear. While fear might push people to perform in the short term, it can lead to stress, burnout, and a lack of genuine enthusiasm. Instead, focus on practising empathy and understanding.