Whether in our workplace, as class representatives or captains on our sports team, most of us find ourselves at some point in our lives in a position that involves managing a group It is evident that it is a complicated task, and to prove it, we only have to see how the dynamics of a class change between its different teachers, or how the students of said class change if they are introduced to a different one (although in this last example other group variables also have an impact).
There are people who have an intuitive ability to manage groups and others who find it more difficult, which is why, it is said, leaders are born.
However, psychology usually advocates the possibility of change and, therefore, maintains that there are different strategies to train in leadership. Below we will see what they are all based on: fundamental leadership skills
Leadership is still a role and, therefore, a set of observable and therefore trainable behaviors. We can define the leader as the member of the group who manages to direct the behavior of the rest of the members in the direction he wants. Therefore, To be a leader it is not enough to command, distribute tasks or structure a plan, but it is necessary to commit those directed to your cause (to your objective), and gain their trust. For this, certain social skills are very important.
To begin with, it is advisable to have a high transparency and sincerity regarding the work of the different members of the group In other words, it is important that everyone understands what their task is for, and how it is related to the fulfillment of common objectives and thus to the benefit of all. To do this, a climate of trust must be established, and everyone must feel safe to ask questions or propose alternatives. And how do we transmit all this?
Well speaking, of course. But not only through words.
2. Mastery of verbal and non-verbal communication
Both verbal and non-verbal communication are vitally important when leading groups, and It is necessary that we express everything we want let our group know. Now, there will be those uncomfortable moments when we are forced to reject a proposal or demand more from one of our colleagues. For this there are different communication strategies. Among them, we must highlight assertiveness.
3. Assertiveness
Assertiveness is about power communicate what we want while maintaining good relationships Specifically, it consists of talking about behaviors instead of essences (“you do X” better than “you are X”) since behaviors are susceptible to change, about the future instead of the past (“do you have done Y”), since we cannot change the past, or in positive instead of negative (“do X” instead of “don’t do Y”)… This capacity constitutes one of the basic leadership skills to be in tune with the teams.
4. Feedback control
In addition, we must take into account the administration of feedback, that is, the information we administer to our groups about their performance, attitude and behaviors related to their work in general. The feedback can be positive or negative. When it is positive, there is no problem, we can manage it practically in any way, but when some behavior needs to be corrected, we can endanger the self-esteem and self-efficacy of our interlocutor, psychological characteristics that we need to be at their best. To do this, it is recommended to administer negative feedback in private, without witnesses before whom our listener has to defend his or her pride.
In addition, it is recommended to start by giving positive feedback (you will have done something well), include the negative in an assertive way, and end with a note of encouragement. It is what is known, joking aside, as the sandwich method.
5. Active listening
Furthermore, saying things is very good, saying them correctly is much better, but later on, if our words are not backed by our example and our behaviors, we will lose something vital for a leader: credibility. Therefore, it is important exercise active listening when the group or its components transmit their opinions or doubts to us. Let them finish their sentences, respond to the need they are expressing, make sure they are satisfied and, above all, have a lot of empathy and know how to put yourself in their place.
Therefore, group management is a very complicated task, and there are people with an innate ability to carry it out but, like all psychological skills, It can be optimized with good mental training
At UPAD Psychology and Coaching we work with all types of people (athletes, managers, team leaders, etc.) on the psychological skills involved in group leadership with the aim of enhancing their performance, well-being and satisfaction. Therefore, we know that leadership is not based on unidirectional processes, but on a set of skills that allow establishing a balance between oneself and others.
