This article will be discussing how leaders can work together in an organization. We shall also be looking at the important traits of a good manager in the workplace that can make collaboration effective. Lastly, we will also be explaining the various barriers that can occur in the process of working together.

How do you get leaders to work together?

To get leaders to work together in an efficient manner, the following strategies can be used:

Communicate effectively and openly
Understand the others’ strengths
Establish a strong set of values
Check feasibility of goals
Create a balance between leaders
Team up with right resources

Leaders need to get the best out of the team in order to foster creativity and efficiency. When leaders and managers work together, it can greatly benefit the organization. However, this combination of powerful forces is not always smooth. The strategies that leaders and managers can use to work together efficiently are discussed below:

Communicate effectively and openly

In order to work together, leaders and managers need to communicate effectively with each other. Effective and open communication allows them to understand the purpose and goals of the team in a proper manner. It also eliminates misunderstandings which can lead to disruptions in the work process.

Understand the others’ strengths

Leaders need to be aware of each other’s strengths. This can help them empower each other and use the available resources properly. However, this can happen only when the leaders are highly self-aware themselves. When a leader is aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, they can embrace others’ strengths easily without feeling threatened.

Establish a strong set of values

Leaders should be aware of the organizational goals and values. They should also have an established set of values for them and the team members to follow. These values act as ground rules in order to guide the work flow. When there are a strong set of values, it becomes easier to make decisions and accomplish the shared goals.

Check feasibility of goals

Thought leaders need to be highly optimistic and inspirational, they can sometimes set goals that are too lofty and vague. Leaders, who are working together, need to carefully calculate the feasibility of the goals. This leads to a more realistic and relatable view of the shared purpose and can guide the team members in a better manner.

Create a balance between leaders

There has to be a good balance between the leaders and the managers in the organization. If the leaders lead too much or the managers manage a lot, it can lead to a lop-sidedness in the organization. When the powers are rightly balanced, it creates better clarity and priorities. It also promotes better fruition of the goals.

Team up with right resources

Leaders do not necessarily have all the answers or resources that a team requires. For this, leaders need to team up with the right individuals who will be able to provide the right resources and skills for the team. This also requires good self-awareness and a letting go of personal ego.

Important traits of a good manager

Without good management in an organization, the leaders cannot do much. The managers are the individuals who bring the visions of the leadership to life. Great managers all share some common traits. The important traits of a good manager are:

Great delegation skills

Good managers have great delegation skills. They would let people know what is expected out of them and what the project aims to accomplish on a small and large scale. They would also enlighten the team members on performance metrics and what system would be used to gauge their individual performances.

Ability to deliver clear instructions

Managers need to provide the right set of instructions if they need the goals to be accomplished. They also need to know how to communicate with different team members who may have varying working styles. Good managers describe what they need to get done and who is going to do it by when. There should not be any communication gaps when they coordinate the project.

Good listening skills

Managers need to have great listening skills in order to effectively lead a team. They also need to be able to listen to compliments as well as honest criticism with the same intent. This promotes openness in the team and also leads to stronger team cohesion. Managers should not only listen to the team members but also the stakeholders in order to effectively accomplish the goal.

Teaching and training skills

Team members will look up to managers for assistance and resources in various steps of the work process. Managers need to be able to provide the right training and teach the right skills at any time. When team members understand that their manager is open to teaching and training, they feel valued and will contribute more to the team.

Critical thinking and analytical skills

Managers need to have great thinking and analytical skills. Sometimes leaders cannot see the loopholes or flaws in the scenario, of which managers might be more aware of. This awareness should help managers resolve problems before they escalate into bigger ones. This allows them to foresee risks and have multiple solutions ready for future problems.

Great problem-solving abilities

Problems and disruptions can arise at any time in a team or an organization. Great managers at this time gather their team together, discuss the problem and ask for suggestions and solutions. They are also keen enough to detect the exact problem, analyze it and provide inputs for solutions. At this stage, they also ensure no further problems arise and the project can go on.

Barriers while working together

While it is essential that leaders and managers collaborate effectively together in an organization, there can be many barriers in this process. A few of the barriers that can stop leaders working together are listed as follows:

When there is a non-participating leadership in the organization
When the decision-making process is not as effective and democratic
When diversity is not respected and valued
When there is no mutual trust and respect between the employees
When communication is irregular and infrequent
When the leaders are not clear about the goals and the vision
When there is no proper assignment of roles and tasks
When relationships between leaders are weak or unhealthy

Conclusion

This article has discussed how leaders can work together in an organization. We have also looked at the important traits of a good manager in the workplace that can make collaboration effective. In addition, we have explained the various barriers that can occur in the process of working together.

Frequently asked questions: (How do you get leaders to work together?)

How do you get your team to work together?

Teamwork is highly essential in any organization. It not only benefits organizations but also employees. In order to encourage teamwork in the workplace, the following strategies can be implemented:

Establish effective communication

For team members to work closely with each other there has to be effective communication in place. Team leaders need to not only encourage effective communication but also provide the right resources for it. This is particularly important in remote teams, where digital collaboration tools help in communication and interaction.

Encourage creativity and innovation

Creativity and innovation are not the outcomes of individuals alone. It takes a team to bring an idea to life and make it a usable product. When team members are encouraged to be creative, they collaborate closely with the team members to critically think and analyze issues and come up with new solutions.

Promote individuality

Individual strengths and talents need to be recognized in the team and put to good use. When strengths of the team members are acknowledged, they are not only motivated but also take more ownership of the tasks. They also show higher commitment to the project and are more transparent about their work.

Respect and value diversity

Diversity does not only refer to diversity in cultural backgrounds and languages. It also refers to the diversity of genders as well as diverse opinions and ideas. When diversity is respected and seen as an asset rather than a challenge to the organization, better ideas and solutions can be generated by the team. It also leads to new perspectives for existing issues.

Practice team-building exercises

Team building exercises help in strengthening bonds between team members. There are a variety of exercises that can be used for a variety of issues, ranging from communication to conflict resolution and trust building. Team leaders can choose the appropriate team building exercise based on the problem they want to tackle and the personas of the team members.

How does a leader put together the right team?

For a team to be highly successful and effective at achieving goals, it needs to have the right team members. Leaders can use the following information to help put together the right team:

Have the right objectives

Before bringing in the team members, the team leader needs to be clear about the objectives they are seeking to achieve. It will be also beneficial for them to have a clear outline of the project process so that they can persuade team members better.

Provide the appropriate resources

The right resources need to be provided to the team members so that they can achieve their goals on time. Without the right resources like technology, skill sets, expertise and even people, the project can get stalled many times and thus deadlines can be missed.

Establish yourself as a strong leader

Team members need to see the leader as a strong and effective person. If the leader does not establish a strong presence, the team members may not be committed to the project well enough. They might not also listen or respect the leader and thus team cohesion can be affected.

Ensure everyone is on the same page

For a team to work well, everyone should be on the same page about the workings of the project. This includes regular updates about the project, constructive feedback, progress of individual tasks and also problems and risks foreseen to happen.

Encourage sharing of ideas

Encouraging exchange of ideas and suggestions between the team members can foster a collaborative spirit and thus help in improving the team work. It can also lead to better solutions for problems and also innovative designs and products which can be profitable for business.

Fulfill your promises

Team members expect the leader to honor their word and fulfill their promises. If the team leader fails to do so, the team members will not value the leader and thus fall back on their commitment to the team.

If you like this post, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.

Citations

https://www.teamwork.com/blog/10-ways-leaders-teams/

https://hbr.org/2007/11/eight-ways-to-build-collaborative-teams

www.northridgegroup.com

https://slack.com/intl/en-in/blog/collaboration/collaborative-leadership-top-down-team-centric

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/business/manage-a-successful-team

Achieving executive balance: Nine ways leaders and managers work together

3 Rules of Leadership that Bring a Team Together

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/03/why-its-hard-for-leaders-to-work-together/

http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/can-leaders-and-managers-really-work-together/business-management-services-risk-management

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/developingandsustaininghigh-performanceworkteams.aspx

How do you get leaders to work together? (+5 traits of good managers)