Sometimes I find the best leadership in my faith tradition and I have recently read a book by Alain Emerson§ that has really helped me and confirmed some of my practices, especially when it comes to Team Leadership.

Here are his suggestions for leading teams, with my “twist” on them.

What makes a good leader?

Here is SOME of what it takes is what it takes in general to be successful.

· Learning head and heart and soul

· Engagement

· Visionary and Influencer

· Aspects of different kinds of leadership used at different points with different situations and people

A good leader is open and ready to learn, for oneself and as a model

A while ago I gave a talk in a small business on learning and what the MD said before I started was key: “I have had coaches and supervisors to grow and learn; you should consider the opportunity for yourselves.” She even said there were funds budgeted in the employees’ further education budgets for such activities. What a model!

A successful leader values and encourages employee engagement

In Switzerland, the average percentage of engaged employees is less than 15%, according to Gallup. This is extremely low, but in line with the DACH region.

Leadership is Usually seen as visionary and influencing in a positive way

Not only is engagement important, but how the leader shares the vision, and encourages the employees is very key. It can be a deal maker – or breaker – as to whether an engaged employee stays or goes.

A successful leader knows how to use various roles to bring about success

Robert E Quinn has a “Competing Values Framework” that can be helpful for measuring your leadership skills for the roles needed: team builder/facilitator, mentor, innovator/pioneer, broker/networker, director (of strategy), producer, controller and coordinator. All of these roles have skills to develop and use as a leader, and when necessary, to develop and encourage in the upcoming leadership under you.