You’re a team building manager. What are the most important leadership qualities you need to have?

In my experience I found that communication has to be intentional. A great example is when you are complimenting someone on the team not just saying “great job” but taking it to another level and truly explaining what their contribution did for the client, the project, the company. Help them to see the value they bring and it can help to create repeated behaviors.

The number 1 most important quality or ability for a leader to have is to be able to create an environment of psychological safety.

I have found that having empathy, being sure to listen to concerns is very important. Being positive, and being a good communicator with objectives and goals.

Here are the top skills: Story Evangelists - An ability to compellingly articulate and repeats our team’s purpose and progress. Stories must stick. Struggle Detective - A proactive radar for when team members are struggling despite what they actually vocalize. I'd probe sensitively to understand root issues. Heat Shields - A commitment to absorb brunt of external criticisms so they don’t demoralize team members. Take ownership! Growth Gardeners - Consistently nurture team members’ skill sets and career trajectory through coaching, stretch assignments, and more. Feedback First Aid - CPR-level responsiveness and thoroughness when team members share feedback and ideas. I'd treat their input urgently.

I have found that you need to listen, communicate, actively give feedback, empower all and recognize excellent performance. Very important for the team to know if they are winning or losing the game.

As a Team Building Manager I think that you first have to build a relationship with each team member. After you build the relationship you must establish respect towards your teammates to gain respect in return. Afterwards your teammates will begin to trust you and will do more with you and for you as a Team Building Manager not based on the title but your character as a person.

Find out what people enjoy doing and delegate the team-building activities accordingly. People will be more engaged if they lead or are involved in designing the activities themselves

We need to create a culture where everyone comes up with great ideas to improve performance and add value. We need to innovate in every aspect of business. We must ensure we are relentless discoverers and exploit technology and platforms. Innovation rarely fails due to a lack of ideas or creativity. It is usually down to a lack of nurturing ideas along a hazardous journey where they can be killed in an instant. Great innovators know how to focus on the right ideas, engage the business and markets behind the ideas and know how to implement the ideas effectively. They are comfortable with experimentation and failure.

As a team building manager it’s very important that you have creativity skills. Being able to think and operate outside of the box is important for a team building manager. A team is full of different personalities, perspectives and ideas , if you’re creative skills kick in as a leader the best thing you could ever do is tap into not only your creativity but also your team creativity as well.

In my experience of running teams, I have found that the most meaningful team-building activities are ones where thought has gone into them to consider what is comfortable and what is challenging for each team member. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all all approach, something that is tweaked to their needs. To encourage creativity it's good to take the team away from the mundane day-to-day and put them into an inspiring environment. Making it fun. Our most creative ideas often come when we are relaxed. Remove the day-to-day pressures, make them feel heard and innovative ideas will blossom.

Facilitation is one of the most under valued skills a manager can have. Facilitation involves having others think critically, understand how a process works and aid in leading participants through that process. A good facilitator asks questions that deliver learnings, stimulate conversation, get people thinking and tie back to some relatable. Facilitation is not just public speaking or bossing a group around. A learnt facilitation skill is knowing when to take a hard stop, adjust and attack the issue from a new perspective. Knowing when to be tough on a subject or action versus a more laissez-faire approach.

As a team building manager it’s very important that you also have facilitation skills. As a leader being able to facilitate team building activities will be major for you. This allows you to get a first hand look at how the activities are going and how the team performs within those activities. You’re also there to help them if they don’t quite understand the team building activities or if they don’t want to participate in the team building activities.

-Facilitation skills enable the team-building manager to lead discussions, ensuring that communication flows smoothly. This is essential for conveying information, clarifying objectives, and promoting open dialogue among team members. -Facilitators are adept at managing conflicts constructively. In a team-building context, conflicts may arise, and a skilled facilitator can navigate these situations, encouraging resolution and maintaining a positive team atmosphere. -A team-building manager with strong facilitation skills can create an inclusive environment that encourages active participation from all team members. This is vital for fostering collaboration and ensuring that everyone feels valued.

Facilitation is a skill all on its own... knowing how NOT to micro-manage, how NOT to get in the way, but knowing when to stop disruptive behavior that could destroy the creativity that is occurring. Practice a few different ways to include the voices of everyone until you find one that works for your team. Try having everyone write down ideas individually first... try having people shout out ideas... Just make sure there is no judgement (from you or anyone else) on any idea!

In my opinion, EI is an essential part of being a great leader. Understanding your own leadership style, and the style of those on your team is imperative to the team’s success. Knowing how each person wants to receive accolades or reading cues when someone is having an off day will make a team member feel seen and in turn, give their best to the organization. Leadership isn’t just about checking boxes and turning reports in on time. It is about motivating people to be their best. Appreciated and motivated team members will result in a successful organization!

Showing your own vulnerability is key. When you can express your challenges that is when you can relate to others. You spend 5/7 of the week working (based on full time work) you can’t afford not to relate with people. Having strong connections helps push through the challenges. This is what makes leadership rewarding.

As a team building manager emotional intelligence skills will be a necessity. With having to mange multiple people on your team you understand that with every team member there is a different personality and emotional need. As the leader you will need to be a leader that has the emotional intelligence to handle each team member emotionally with care no matter the situation.

Emotional intelligence is the foundation for pretty much everything else. The ability first to know yourself, with all your strengths, and all your foibles is what makes you human and therefore approachable and respectable. Secondly, once you are able to know yourself, you are in a better position to notice,understand, and respond appropriately to others, emotions, behaviors, and actions. Teams built on strong, emotional intelligence are able to weather the inevitable storms that they will encounter.

Especially when trying to encourage team building, emotional intelligence is crucial. I liked starting team meetings/activities with everyone doing their own temperature check (to themselves). It was a quick reminder of our EQ discussions and a reinforcement tool to remind them not to judge themselves or others. The question was simply for each person to take a minute to acknowledge any emotions they had brought with them to the meeting, without judgement... then to acknowledge the energy level they were bringing into the meeting, again without judgement. It set the tone for all of us.

Learning is a continuous journey of acquiring and applying knowledge and skills. To enhance your team-building expertise, embrace a proactive approach by engaging in research, experimentation, and evaluation of your activities. Maintain an open-minded attitude, treating mistakes, feedback, and experiences as valuable learning opportunities.

Often when we learn anything we feel like we should know it after only 1 training session. It's a common misconception in adults not only in the workplace but in their personal development too. Yet as a child, we learn to walk by failing, then getting up and trying again. We don't learn to walk straight away, nor do we learn to ride a bike or drive a car after one lesson. So why are so many courses in businesses run once, or a person sent a course as a one-off and expected to implement it? Whether this is technical training, leadership training, or personality types, we need to repeat it often changing the format slightly to help not only ourselves but our team members to be confident in developing our skills.

Learning is all about making mistakes! 1) It reminds us that we don't have to be successful at everything at the start. 2) It lessens the fear of trying something new. 3) It opens our eyes to opportunities for growth. 4) It humbles us to know that we can still learn from other people. The more we try new things and seek new skills, the more we open our eyes to the strengths and uniqueness that exists in others. It also reminds ourselves that there is always something we can learn from others.

Learning skills encompass critical thinking, effective communication, information literacy, adaptability, self-directed learning, time management, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, resilience, reflective practice, and emotional intelligence. Cultivating these skills is vital for continuous personal and professional growth in an ever-evolving world.

For me this key, if you want people to come with you on a journey you need to be at the front with the vision almost being a cheerleader for your idea/s if your team buy in no matter how madcap your on the path to success in my eyes!

I am a visionary leader, so while creating a vision for others to work towards, it is vital to incorporate a linear mindset in a step-by-step approach to reach our goals. I like to think I provide a roadmap with scenery while the processes and progression align in these efforts. I believe it is good to witness the utilization of various talents and skill sets from team members, and how we work together by learning from one another on the path to meet those goals.

Putting together a shared vision for the team is a powerful way to get everyone motivated—it makes everyone feel like they're part of something bigger. This vision helps everyone see how their work and roles matter to the team. This shared vision also helps to build trust among team members. Everyone understands the goal and aligns their efforts in the same direction. This trust becomes especially important when the team is going through big changes. Encouraging your team to help create this shared vision shows that you're a leader who is eager to know what matters to them and excited about the team's continued success.

Key I think is being more than a "manager" - embrace your role and be a leader. Understand your team at both the individual and team level (what motivates them, their individual strengths and weaknesses, team dynamics). That will allow you to build an effective team.

In my experience there is no ONE most needed quality in leadership, or building a team. A leader serves so many in many different capacities. Every industry will face a unique set of challenges because of their offer, target and team. Overall, for starters I say my top 5 qualities most beneficial are: > The courage to lead > The wisdom to let go > The humbleness to develop others > The vulnerability to be a student > The integrity to stand on what's right in any circumstance

When we take our life experiences, and demonstrate how they have helped us overcome similar obstacles it provides a road map for everyone else. A good leader is capable of also acknowledging their short comings, or their respective weaknesses. And a strong team will have those gaps filled with its core members. I am reminded of, "The Starfish and The Spider", when the conquistadors methodology, [kill the king, starve the people, steal the gold], was employed on the Apache, it failed. And when Geronimo was killed, several others rose up to take his place. The strongest teams are autonomous, and people will intrinsically rise to the occasion if they know its right. A Non-Ton is the leader the people backed, with righteous knowledge & actions.

My opinion is that as a team building manager, we should understand the critical role of leadership in fostering a cohesive and high-performing team.

A team building manager must cultivate a unified, driven, and efficient team. Empathy is key in building trust and rapport, while clear communication promotes understanding and open discussion. Vision and adaptability guide the team through challenges. Motivating the team in difficult times is crucial for morale and effectiveness. Delegating tasks responsibly enhances operational efficiency and empowers team members. Upholding integrity through ethical actions and leading by example earns respect and trust. Skillful conflict resolution is vital for a harmonious team dynamic, crucial to achieving success. Collectively, these qualities enable a team building manager to lead proficiently, fostering a vibrant and inclusive team.