By Heather (Hedrick) Fink, M.S., R.D.

One of the keys to a successful team begins with an effective team leader. People can be leaders in various areas of life: a parent leading a child through growth and social development in adolescence; a town resident leading a community service group; or a coworker leading a project team. Whether you are leading “Team Family,” “Team Community” or “Team Business,” there are several key components to good team leadership:

• Build commitment and confidence within your team. Parents can lead a family by building commitment to help ensure lasting, caring relationships. Children can thrive in school and social situations if they feel confident in themselves and belong to a committed family.

• Create opportunities for others. Leaders in neighborhood watch programs can create opportunities for other households to become involved. In a small neighborhood, widespread knowledge of the program and involvement of the community can decrease the incidence of crime.

• Strengthen the mix and level of skills. Successful leaders can strengthen their team at work by diversifying the skills and abilities of the individuals within the group. When looking for coworkers to team together to work on a project, or when hiring new employees, a successful leader will search for individuals with differing viewpoints and backgrounds to work together to broaden the perspective and maximize the performance of the group.

Leaders can truly make an impact by empowering their team members with confidence, opportunity and the chance to interact with others of complementary abilities.

For additional information please contact NIFS at 317.274.3432.