How can I learn to be a good Team Leader for my group?
I think to some extent you learn as you go. That’s probably the best way to describe what I do. As the leader of my group I am like a coach and mentor to them. But being a SFI team leader is more than that because I am also a working SFI affiliate. So there are two aspects to this.
1. Me, as an active SFI businessperson.
Like any other SFI affiliate I work my SFI business too. So I “lead from the front”. I have learnt the SFI system and I work that system as best I can for myself on a “day-to-day” basis. This will change depending on my budget, circumstances and the time I have available. It’s a dynamic balancing situation. AND it is a DAILY activity. This is my business and I am serious about it.
I make sure that I keep myself up to date with what is going on in SFI. I read the news and any emails and messages sent to me by SFI and I study all the new stuff so that I can understand it and begin to apply it to my business as soon as possible.
And I have a “self-improvement plan”. I want to get better at SFI. I want to learn new things. I want to address my weaknesses, particularly in marketing, social media and using a website, so that I can improve my performance and grow my SFI business. So I plan to make time to read and learn.
So running my SFI business is a very practical “hands-on” thing. I plan to do something. If I don’t know how I have to learn how. And that is what is so great about SFI – all the free resources here for me to read up and study and learn.
By doing these things I put myself in a good position to be able to lead my group.
2. Leading my group.
I expect my group to also be doing these things. And that is what I teach them as a group. They must learn SFI basics and they must work daily. If they are not prepared to do that then there is little I can do to help them. But, hopefully they will see what I do, see my badges, read my TeamMail and Stream posts and be motivated to do the same.
Now, this is where it gets interesting and the real fun starts. Each of my team members is different. So I give them specific individual advice. To do that I look at what they are doing (or haven’t done). I look at they goals, and discuss their budget (if any) with them. I will make suggestions to them, that is all I can do. It is their decision what they actually do. And they will ask me questions.
This is why I have said the “you learn as you go”. Because when I am asked a question I may have to research the answer myself first. I certainly have to make sure I am giving them the correct information.
So leading is a very personal thing. To help my team member to succeed I must take him from where he is today and teach him what he needs to know. All the time working with him, at his pace, doing what he wants to do. Remember his SFI business will be different from yours.
So, I guess, in essence learning to be a good team leader is a very practical thing. If you “know your stuff”, work your own SFI business, and are responsive to your team member, you will learn to be a good team leader.
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How can I learn to be a good Team Leader for my group?
I think to some extent you learn as you go. That’s probably the best way to describe what I do. As the leader of my group I am like a coach and mentor to them. But being a SFI team leader is more than that because I am also a working SFI affiliate. So there are two aspects to this.
1. Me, as an active SFI businessperson.
Like any other SFI affiliate I work my SFI business too. So I “lead from the front”.
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