What Makes a Good Team? And Tips for Leading One

What does a good team look like?

The Avengers? The Ghostbusters? The Fellowship of the Ring?!

The movies have given us some pretty epic examples of teams. But minus the mutants, mythical creatures, and superheroes, how do you actually create a legendary team at work?

I’m Glenn Taylor with Skybound Coaching and Training, and in this video we’ll cover 7 qualities that’ll help you lead a rockstar team.

#1. A common goal: For the Ninja Turtles it was obvious – defeat Shredder. But in real life, goals and priorities can get muddled. The best leaders make sure everyone on the team is aiming at the same target.

#2. Clear roles and expectations: A good team leader creates clarity about each person’s role. That way, everyone knows what they’re doing and who’s accountable for what.

#3: Roles matched to superpowers: A kick-ass team harnesses the unique talents of each person in the group, and establishes roles based on those superpowers. So, be the Dumbledore -- know who’s the Harry, Hermione, and Ron of your team and divvy up tasks accordingly.

#4. Constructive conflict: Disagreements aren’t always bad. Wait, now, hear me out-- conflict can be healthy when it’s focused on the work itself, not on personal attacks. As a leader, if you can facilitate tough conversations with empathy and respect, it’ll foster an even stronger team.

#5. Regular communication & feedback: Effective leaders encourage open and honest communication, especially about feedback. Regular communication could mean a mix of meetings, causal check-ins, and pirate-style messages in a bottle … you know, the typical stuff.

#6. Shared values and norms: Most teams have a blend of different personalities and work styles. Leaders unite everyone around a common set of values and norms. Values might be things like “resilience” or “transparency,” and norms might be stuff like “We won’t email each other after 7pm” or “We won’t force you to fraternize with Middle Earth Orcs.”

#7. Cohesion: Some of the best connections with coworkers are made OUTSIDE the workplace. Shocking, I know! Sometimes you just need to get together to celebrate success, appreciate each other, and leverage the synergistic power of…oh whatever, happy hours…that’s basically what I’m saying…more happy hours.

Ok, that’s it for now. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and I’ll see you in the next video.

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