Leadership skills and team Management in Laboratory Practice
Presentation made to Medical Laboratory Professionals under UMLTA as part of Continuous Professional Development
28th March 2024
By:
Nahabwe Charles Kaahwa
Senior Quality Assurance Officer - Diagnostics
Services AHPC/MOH
What are leadership skills? �
Leadership skills are skills you use when organizing other people to reach a shared goal. Whether you’re in a management position or leading a project, leadership skills require you to motivate others to complete a series of tasks, often according to a schedule. Leadership is not just one skill but rather a combination of several different skills working together.
What is team Management?
Team management is the ability of an individual or an organization to administer and coordinate a group of individuals to perform a task. Team management involves
teamwork, communication, objective setting and performance appraisals.
What are organizational leadership skills?
Organizational leadership skills are the set of abilities that help organizational leaders direct companies, government agencies and other groups. These skills allow a leader to resolve issues, maintain a dedicated workforce and guide the organization toward its goals.
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While organizational leaders might work in a range of industries, including health care, nonprofit work, finance, technology and manufacturing, they often use many of the same skills in their work. For example, a hospital administrator and the CEO of a financial service firm might both use organization, communication skills and prioritization to ensure the smooth operations of their businesses
Key skills for organizational leaders�
Organizational leaders conduct a wide range of tasks each day. Certain skills may help these leaders effectively guide others to success. Here are some key skills necessary for organizational leaders:
1.Communication skills
Communication skills can be valuable to an organizational leader because they help the leader convey messages about the organization's values and goals to others. An organizational leader might use their communication skills to speak and write to a wide range of audiences, including donors, departmental directors, team managers, employees and vendors. Because communication skills include active listening, writing and speaking, they affect many parts of a leader's role in the organization. For example, an organizational leader in a nonprofit group might use public speaking skills to address donors at a charity luncheon and active listening skills to help employees
2.Problem-solving skills
Developing problem-solving skills can help organizational leaders respond to emergencies and resolve issues affecting the organization. Problem-solving skills include research, analytical skills and the ability to decide quickly. Organizational leaders might use these skills to solve problems that are beyond the abilities of managers and lead employees. For example, an organizational leader in an energy corporation might solve problems relating to oil prices or supply chain issues. They might research alternative supply chain methods, ask advice from industry consultants and decide on a course of action
3.Strategic thinking
A key duty of an organizational leader is to set growth goals for a company or non-profit organization, which makes strategic thinking an important skill. Strategic thinking is the ability to establish goals and develop plans to achieve them. Organizational leaders might work with department directors, consultants and analysts to estimate trends and set realistic goals for an organization's growth. They might set targets, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop a system for monitoring progress toward the organization's goals.
4.Prioritization
Organizational leaders often have strong prioritization skills, which allow them to guide their organization by selecting the most important goals and tasks to meet growth goals. For example, to launch a new product line, a software company's CEO might create a project management timeline and give each department a specific task to complete. Prioritization skills also allow organizational leaders to respond to emergencies and industry changes by identifying the most important products and services that a company offers
5.Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal include empathy, patience, dependability and flexibility. Organizational leaders might use their interpersonal skills to build relationships with employees and help them develop their skills. For example, an organizational leader might use empathy to understand the needs and feelings of managers during leadership meetings, which can make the discussion more productive. Strong interpersonal skills can also help an organizational leader interact with external clients, like customers, vendors and donors
6.Organization
Organizational leaders might direct several departments and major projects, so a sense of organization can be key to their success. Strong organizational skills can help them monitor correspondence, develop project plans, track KPIs and complete paperwork and other administrative tasks. Keeping their resources organized can also help leaders locate important information quickly and easily. While some leaders have support staff to help them with the organization, like executive assistants, others handle their responsibilities alone.
7.Innovation
Organizational leaders can lead their company or business to success through consistent innovation. The ability to manage change and lead an organization to try new things is critical for leaders. Innovation skills involve setting a vision, creating short- and long-term goals and developing a strategy for success.
8.Creativity�
Being a team leader requires creativity and adaptiveness towards innovation. Honing your creativity as one of your team leader skills can help you smoothly navigate the changing technological and digital trends. Moreover, it also helps you develop novel ideas that boost business growth.
9.Knowledge of your organization
It's also important for organizational leaders to have a strong working knowledge of their organization. If you understand the various elements of the company, like manufacturing, production, marketing and sales, you can lead more effectively. Not only does this improve your ability to lead, but it can help you build relationships with people in the organization
10.Self-awareness
Another great skill for organizational leaders is self awareness. Self-awareness involves understanding your strengths and weaknesses, asking for help when you need it and knowing your leadership style. When a leader is self-aware, they can develop a plan to address areas for improvement and often take feedback constructively.
11.Flexibility�
Once used to motivate team members, the carrot and stick approach is no longer ideal in today’s fast-moving world: Modern times demand flexible leadership, which involves the willingness to adapt to changing times. This is also called an adaptive or transformative leadership style, whereby you learn to improvise as per the situation and take necessary steps. However, gaining flexibility as one of your team leader skills requires constant effort. Self-awareness is the key here. For instance, you need to reflect upon and critically evaluate your actions, strengths, and weaknesses and find areas where you can improve your leadership style. In addition, you also need to analyze external factors like changing market conditions and consumer demands to understand the need for flexibility.
12.Time management
Since organizational leaders manage multiple aspects of a company, each element must run smoothly. Time management skills help keep the entire company organized since a set schedule creates timelines for everyone to follow. It's also critical for leaders to manage their own time effectively, so they arrive at meetings on time and complete their tasks.
13.Delegation
Many organizational leaders have several tasks to accomplish each day. The sheer number of tasks is one reason delegation skills are so important for these types of leaders. Rather than trying to complete everything on your own, the ability to delegate allows you to trust other capable employees. This provides opportunities to empower others while giving you time to do your work at a high standard
14.Emotional Intelligence�
Emotional intelligence refers to an individual’s ability to manage their emotions, as well as those of others.
A highly developed level of emotional intelligence is a hallmark of strong managers and leaders. Someone with a keen sense of self-awareness, empathy, and other social skills is someone who can motivate and influence others, an important quality for managers to exhibit.
15 Decision-Making
Over the course of a day, managers might be responsible for making a number of decisions that impact their team or the project they're overseeing. Prioritizing tasks, allocating resources, delegating duties—each of these is a decision that falls to the manager.
Sometimes, a manager will need to make an authoritative decision to resolve an issue. Other times, decision-making might involve consensus building, wherein members of the team are invited to participate in the discussion and help guide the process. Ultimately, the manager is responsible for the outcome of the decision and, as such, must be comfortable with ensuing results.
16.Conflict Resolution�
As a team leader, you are bound to be challenged by the differing opinions of your team members. Conflict resolution is the true test of leadership. In tough times, leadership qualities such as patience, resilience, critical and strategic thinking, and fairness come to the fore and help you resolve conflicts.
17.Show some empathy�
Most people think that empathy is something you have only with friends and family, but in reality, it is also a priority in business.
According to inspirational leadership author Simon Sinek, empathy “is the most important instrument in a leader’s tool box.” Simply asking, “Is everything okay?” demonstrates you care about the team member and helps build relationships.
18.Adaptability�
As an adaptable leader, you adjust your behavior in response to situational changes. You are resilient when things don't go as expected and recover quickly from setbacks by viewing them as an opportunity to grow. Showing adaptability in leadership involves being flexible and adjusting to changing conditions and environments.
19.Critical thinking�
Analyzing information to fully comprehend an issue or topic is the act of critical thinking. The steps of the critical thinking process often entail gathering facts and data, posing deliberate queries, and examining potential answers. For instance, if you work in HR and must settle a dispute between two coworkers, using critical thinking skills can be helpful in determining the nature of the conflict and the appropriate course of action. Critical thinking is an important component of decision-making.
20.Reliability and trust�
Trust is the cornerstone of a successful organization. Trust, or belief in another person's skills, integrity, and character, is frequently thought of as something built upon in personal relationships.
Leadership develops best through reliability. Leaders must ensure their words and deeds are consistent if they want to be trusted. If those you lead cannot trust you to keep your word, they will lose faith in you rapidly.
21.Collaboration skills �
Collaboration is the ability to work with others towards a shared vision or outcome. As a team leader, you need to be able to foster a culture of collaboration within your team, as well as across teams and organizations. You also need to be able to leverage the diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences of your team members, and encourage them to contribute, cooperate, and learn from each other. Collaboration skills are not only about working together, but also about respecting, trusting, and supporting each other. You can improve your collaboration skills by setting clear expectations, roles, and responsibilities, by creating a positive and inclusive team climate, and by celebrating achievements and recognizing contributions.
22.Motivation�
Motivation is defined as a force that encourages and empowers people to achieve their goals. Effective leadership and employee motivation are strongly connected. Ralph Nader, an American activist and author, says, “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” Hence, your role as a leader is to not only delegate or direct but to train and motivate people—and uplift them so they can achieve their personal and organizational goals.
23.Inspiration�
Inspirational leadership is one of the most preferred leadership styles. However, inspiration is not just about encouraging team members. You need to have a clear vision, set goals, and take meaningful steps to achieve those goals. Moreover, you must focus on building your intellect, identifying your team member’s needs, and understanding their challenges. Also, you need to promote transparency and a positive attitude in the team. Simply put, inspiring your team members means empowering them to perform better.
How You Can Develop Your Team Management Skills�
If you want to take your team management skills to the next level, there are several steps you can take to improve them. These include:
Development of management skills continued..
How to develop leadership skills
To succeed as a leader, it’s essential to commit to continued learning and plan personal growth and development. Becoming an effective leader involves gaining leadership skills and fine-tuning key workplace skills. You can accomplish these goals by receiving coaching or mentoring, gaining experience, taking courses, and enrolling in leadership certificate programs.
Leadership coaches work with leaders to help optimize their abilities and effectively manage a team. Leadership coaches and mentors act as supportive advisors who help those being coached better their workplace relationships and performance on the job.
Mentorship is more of a collaborative relationship between a successful leader and a leader in training. Mentor/mentee relationships are often more personal and can offer accountability and help the mentee make beneficial connections, whereby the mentor acts as an advisor.
Leadership experience can come in many forms. From playing on sports teams to participating in social groups and volunteering, you can gain experience in leadership in almost any aspect of life. While these experiences may not directly relate to your career, the skills gained from them can last a lifetime
For a more formal method of gaining leadership skills, enroll in training courses. This is a highly effective way to develop new abilities, enhance existing ones, and establish the foundation for a successful career in leadership.
In addition to courses and training, it is also an option to pursue leadership certifications. Through these programs, you can learn valuable leadership skills and earn a credential for your resume to increase job prospects in your field.
How to improve your leadership skills�
Developing your leadership skills is a great way to improve your performance, gain confidence, and advance in your career. You can work on improving these skills in the following ways:
1. Determine your leadership style
If you want to improve your leadership skills, take a moment to think of how you respond to certain situations. For instance, consider if you rely on yourself to make decisions or if you decide based on input from others. You may believe in nurturing the unique skill sets of each team member rather than forcing everyone to aim for the same goals. This can provide insight into how you prefer to lead. If you’re still not sure, you can take a leadership quiz to determine your preferred style and learn other ways to improve your skills.
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2. Strengthen your communication skills
Effective leaders are great at communicating needs to their team clearly and promptly. Whether you’re in an entry level position or management role, you should work on strengthening both your written and verbal communication skills and other areas that may need improvement. For instance, you could take a public speaking course to help with verbal communication.
3. Find leadership opportunities outside of work
A great way to gain hands-on leadership experience is to find opportunities to be a leader outside of the workplace. This includes volunteering to organize activities and outings or becoming a board member of a local nonprofit organization.
4.Take leadership courses
There are plenty of training courses and workshops available that can teach leadership skills. You can participate in these leadership courses online or attend classes at a local college that offers them.
5. Read books or listen to podcasts about leadership
There are also many books, podcasts, and videos on leadership that can teach you helpful skills and provide you with ways to implement them effectively.
6. Find a mentor
Another way to learn is by studying the specific leadership qualities of someone you admire. Ask someone you respect to be your mentor and try to mirror those qualities in your work.
Demonstrating your leadership skills�
You don’t have to be in a management position to showcase your leadership skills. You can establish yourself as a leader in the following ways:
One way to improve your leadership skills is to assume more responsibility. Wherever possible, take the initiative and do more than what’s in your job description. Speaking up and sharing your ideas, volunteering to take on challenging projects, and looking for ways to improve or simplify processes are just a few examples of things you can do to get noticed as a leader.
Some skills take time and effort to develop, while others may be natural abilities. Examine the strengths and talents that come naturally to you and put them to work.
True leaders do so by example. Model the behaviors you’d like to see in your team and not only will they respect you for it, but they will be more likely to do the same. People are likely to look up to someone who is knowledgeable, demonstrates confidence and positivity, accepts accountability and shows respect for others.
Being a good leader means knowing which of your team members are best suited to take on a project or task and empowering them to do so. Delegating tasks to other team members is an opportunity for them to showcase their skills while learning new ones, and makes them feel more committed to their work.
Sometimes, a project or task doesn’t go as planned. When this happens, good leaders don’t dwell on the challenges or find themselves discouraged. Instead, they remain positive and encouraging and focus on solutions for the next time.
Excellent communication skills are essential for any leader. Part of this communication includes listening to and observing your coworkers, peers and manager. Listening to your team and others in your organization allows you to understand different perspectives and learn from their approaches.
In conclusion, team building and leadership skills for a common goal are almost inseparable and are dynamic in nature. They can be used hand in hand depending on the situation and need at the time.
On the other hand, these skills can be acquired, developed and strengthened over time experience not being underrated.