How do I change from team member to team leader?

I have just been promoted and am now responsible for a team of three people. Before my promotion I was a part of this team. I am unsure how to change my role from one of a peer to the new role of team leader.

Congratulations on your promotion, this is an exciting time for you.

I understand that confidently making the transition from being part of the team to leading the team can be daunting. And, I would like to focus your attention to the positive aspect of why you were promoted. Take time to acknowledge the work and skills that led to your promotion. Celebrate!

There are advantages to the experiences you gained by being a part of this team. You have an understanding of the team’s perspectives and challenges. As well as an understanding of the day-to-day responsibilities, functions and mechanics of the roles performed by the team.

Accept that the dynamics of the team will change as the roles have changed. Prepare for and accept the changes ahead. Take time to design your relationship with your team – as a group and with each person individually

I have broken down three areas for you to think about:

1. Self
2. Individual Team Members
3. Team 

Self

• What type of leader do you want to be?
• Who are the leaders that you admire? What is it about them that you admire?
• What are your signature strengths? And how can these strengths support you in your role?
• What are the areas that you need to develop? (eg communication skills, delegating, influencing skills)?
• What support/training would help you in your new role?
• Who are your allies, your mentors and support people? Specifically how can they help/support you?What are your fears?  

Individual Team Members

• Who are the individuals in your team? Do you know them?
• What challenges are they facing?
• What are their signature strengths?
• What are their areas of development?
• What support/training do they need to help them thrive in their role?
• How will you foster and nurture the talent in individual team members? 

Team

I would like to invite you to think about your team as an entity in its own right. For example if you decided to put your team into a group counselling or coaching session, the ‘client’ would be the team not the individuals within the team. Coming from this perspective:

• What does the team need?
• What agreements need to be made?
• What conversations need to be had?
• What are the strengths of this team? Where are the gaps, weaknesses?
• What do you want to be known for as a team? (eg a team that laughs together? A team that is collaborative? A team that is successful?)
• In order for this team to be successful, what does it need? (eg open communication; honesty; trust etc.)
• Name the elephant in the room. What conversations need to be had so that you can all move forward together in the new structure.
• What is the shared vision of the team?
• What are the team’s values?
• What are the team’s long and short term goals?
• What makes a great team?

You may wish to create a team day and involve your team in the questions above. Once you have explored what it is to be a team, established your shared values, vision and goals. Establish what action is required and create a blueprint for making it happen. Follow this up with a fun team event. 

In conclusion

Be congruent – Ensure that your actions and behaviours are aligned with what you communicate.
Demonstrate integrity – Behave in ways that are consistent with your values, keep the promises you make and hold confidences.
Invest in the success of your team – Both individually with team members and as a whole.
Believe in yourself – Your abilities and those of the individuals that make your team what it is.

Good luck and have fun.

Additional book resources

• Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute
• Becoming a Resonant Leader by Annie McKee, Richard Boyatzis & Frances Johnston
• Co-Active Coaching: New Skills for Coaching People to Success in Life and Work by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House and Phil Sandahl
• Help I’m a New Team Leader, Coaching for the Leader of the Team by Robert Noah.

Pollyanna Lenkic is the founder of Perspectives Coaching, an Australian based coaching and training company. She is an experienced facilitator, certified coach and a certified practitioner of NLP. In 1990 she co-founded a specialist IT recruitment consultancy in London, which grew to employ 18 people and turnover £11 million ($27 million). This blog is about the mistakes she made and the lessons she learned building a business the first time round and how to do it better second time round. For more information go to www.perspectivescoaching.com.au

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