What are the most effective time and resource management strategies for team leadership?

I would always start with a clear Team Purpose Statement. Then the metric. And only then a set of SMART performance goals to support the purpose. You can also use OKR framework, where Objective is more of a descriptive, purpose-led statement, and Key Results are SMART goals. Team Purpose is so many times overlooked, taken for granted and assumed.

We've found that too many people put their tasks in the 'urgent/important' box, and can't prioritise between the 26 things on their to-do list. By placing their tasks in this box, they are always in 'crisis mode' and either can't plan well enough or end up doing things simply because of the deadlines being faced. If we could analyse our tasks deliberately, we will see that we can move many tasks into the other boxes, and hence not be driven by things outside of our control, which will naturally stress us out.

Getting things done (GTD) explains quite nicely the topic of prioritization. Before proceeding with strategic thinking, you check the context, resources and time available. Now you are ready to prioritise! Think about the values and risks of each item to help you decide. Also thinking about your overall purpose will help decide.

In my personal experience I found learning how to delegate was a lot of work! Initially, it added more work than it took away, until I had a system. The reason you delegate is, usually, for you to focus on more strategic aspects, while the to-dos and other things that need to be done are completed. To give you space to think and make decisions. If you are helicopter-managing you won't have the time and space to think and be strategic. However, it takes time to know when and how to delegate, and to balance letting go with following up. The most useful thing is to create a system, a checklist you follow. First it can be written down, and soon you'll internalise it. Be methodical. List all the steps and follow them one by one.

I disagree with the idea that good managers are delegating to-dos, so they can free some of their time for strategic initiatives. It's true, of course, but is also severely limited. The best part about delegating is inclusion. It's inviting your team members to have a say in the direction you're considering taking. Yes, the manager owns it, leads it and is responsible for it. But, through delegating, he/she can invite the team to collaborate on elements of strategic work. It's a win-win. Your team is empowered. You build rapport, trust, and mutual support. You get buy-in for new initiatives, simply because you've strategized on them with your team. You get a lot of great ideas in the process. In the end, you build future leaders.

You get the highest efficiency by simply treating your team well. Not via timesheets or achievement bonuses based on unrealistic goals. Here are the best tools in my box: - Inspiring, supporting, encouraging, providing learning opportunities. - Genuinely caring about the people you work with. - Being considerate of their work-life balance, respecting OoO days/hours. - Encouraging creativity. People who pave their own road forward will always go further than the ones always reliant on you pointing to the solution. Many team leaders believe they know best. Don’t. Leave room for testing new approaches, let your team take a stab at the problem first. - Reduce stress. Be open about risks & challenges, but don't spread your anxiety over the team.