I was honored to lead a panel discussion for our Women In the Electrical Industry Networking Group on the topic of “Transitioning from a Team Member to a Team Leader”. Many thanks to our panelists Joe Huffman (VP of Supplier Relations at CED), Eva Jelezova (Director of Electronic Sensors at Littelfuse) and Nancy Lindsay (Strategic Business Planning Head of Sales at Siemens).
Difference, Believe, Strength & Humor. These are the words our panelists used to summarize the key lessons they shared about making the transition from team member to team leader.
Difference – What’s the difference between a manager and a leader? Managers do things right, Leaders do the right things. Don’t be afraid to make a difference, empower people to do the right things, embrace change, demonstrate integrity and build trust.
Believe – Find a mentor or sponsor who believes in you and is willing to give you that vote of confidence that you CAN do this. As a team leader, believe in the capabilities of your team. Reach back and share your belief in an up-and-coming individual….and pull her along.
Strength & Humor – Remember you are strong. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s fun and courageous to take matters into your own hands. Keep a light heart. If things are tough or looking bleak sometimes you just have to laugh at the mess. Something about making fun of a tough situation makes it look a little less scary.
Other words used during the discussion to define what it means to be a Team Leader were: Diversity, Change, Integrity, Empowered, Risk-taker, Trust, Vote of Confidence, Encouragement, Enthusiasm.
Additional take-aways from our panelists:
"Everything we do is simple, it's just not easy".
“Be risk takers, just do everything legally, morally, and ethically".
Focus on the “what” instead of the “how”.
Don’t take on the job of your team.
Push the envelope.
Don’t wait for others to get you where you need to go.
Do make a personal motto.
Don’t let COVID become an excuse to stop communicating
Do you have other tips on how to make this important transition? Please share in the comments.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Women In the Electrical Networking Group send me a message or reach out via phone.
Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash