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The team leader position may not be high-ranking, but the responsibilities are significant. He is the frontline \"commander\" of the company, serving as a link and bridge between superiors and subordinates. To be an excellent team leader, one must understand the six key aspects of being a team leader: the 5 roles, 6 missions, 7 types, 8 authorities, 9 rules, 10 skills, and 10 tips. I. The 5 roles of a team leader (1) Responsible person. For a company, team leaders are the managers at the grassroots level; they are the ones directly responsible for meeting targets related to quality, cost, and production volume, and they are the drivers of the company’s profits. (2) Leader. For the workers, the team leader is the direct supervisor, responsible for providing guidance and evaluating performance; they are also a source of help and support for the workers, serving as the backbone and leader of the team. (3) Bridges. For a supervisor, the team leader is the one who carries out the supervisor’s orders and decisions, serves as a bridge between the supervisor and the workers, and acts as a channel for disseminating the spirit of management. The team leader is responsible for coordinating the relationships between superiors and subordinates, as well as among team members, resolving conflicts, and fostering harmony in all aspects of these relationships. (4) Colleagues. For other team leaders, the team leader is a colleague, a comrade in arms, and a partner in collaboration. (5) Assistant. For middle management, team leaders are their right-hand assistants. Clearly, with good team leaders in place, a company has a solid foundation, ensuring reliability in all its operations. II. The 6 missions of a team leader (1) Complete production tasks. It is necessary to unite team members, carry out quality improvement activities by continuously identifying issues and innovating, tap into production potential, and strive toward the goals of high quality and low consumption. (2) Training and drills. In accordance with the operating procedures and technical requirements for various positions in this team, quality training and basic skill drills are organized to enhance quality awareness, and activities such as mutual assistance and learning from one another are carried out. (3) Quality control. Organize self-inspections, mutual inspections, and routine inspections, carry out proper process inspections, and implement quality control activities. (4) Security precautions. Carry out 5S activities to create a clean and organized working environment, prioritize safety at all times, and prevent potential safety hazards and accidents. (5) Ensure smooth transition between processes. Ensure review of previous processes, guarantee the current process, and support subsequent processes. (6) Carry out quality improvement activities. Continue to carry out quality improvement and QC team activities to continuously enhance product and service quality. III. 7 Types of Team Leaders (1) Production Technology Type: Team leaders of this type are usually experts in their field, possessing high technical skills and strong abilities to handle accidents. However, they lack the skill to manage interpersonal relationships, and their working methods tend to be quite simple. Team leaders in this category need to receive training in interpersonal skills. (2) Blindly obedient type: Team leaders of this type often lack innovation and management skills, and tend to exhibit a rigid attitude and style. (3) The perfunctory type: Such team leaders tend to be casual and laissez-faire after taking office, showing no sense of responsibility toward their work. They have no real authority and lack prestige among team members. (4) Model worker type: Team leaders of this type are generally meticulous in their work, strict in adhering to rules and regulations, and set good examples by their actions as well as words; however, they are not suitable for leadership roles. (5) The brotherhood-type is good at establishing authority and has strong organizational skills, but they tend to act on impulse at work as well, lacking principle. If brotherhood is not abandoned this morning, the team leader will surely not be able to hold the position for long. (6) The type who insists on doing everything personally: they want to handle all tasks by themselves and don’t trust others. This approach is different from setting an example by one’s own actions, and as a result it makes your employees lazy. For various reasons, team leaders of these six types generally lack satisfactory management skills and the ability to handle emergencies; as a result, sound corporate decisions fail to be effectively implemented at the grassroots level, which severely impacts the company’s overall performance and even undermines its reputation. (7) The surgeon-type team leader manages in a systematic manner, like a surgeon: tasks are handled with focus, and there is good teamwork as well as clear handovers. Such a team knows how to work together. Such team leaders are the best managerial supervisors. IV. 8 Powers of the Team Leader (1) Has the authority to direct and manage the production and operational activities of the team. (2) Has the authority to adjust the labor organization of its own team according to the needs of production activities. (3) Have the authority to formulate detailed implementation rules for their own team in accordance with the factory’s regulations and rules. (4) Have the right to refuse orders that violate regulations and operations that are contrary to regulations. (5) Has the right to submit suggestions to higher authorities regarding rewards and punishments for the employees in one’s own team. (6) Have the authority to distribute the team’s bonuses based on the performance of each employee in the team. (7) Have the authority to recommend outstanding employees from their own team for further education, promotion, and advancement. (8) Have the right to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of team members. V. 9 Commandments for Team Leaders Team leaders are the ones who direct everyone in their work, and every word and action they take has a significant impact on the team; therefore, it is essential to be cautious in what they say and do: (1) Do not say “I can’t do it; it’s really troublesome.” (2) Don’t say “I don’t know; I can’t help you.” (3) Don’t say, “If it doesn’t work, just leave; that’s how things have always been.” (4) Do not complain about your superiors in front of your subordinates. (5) Don’t be disheartened; stay motivated. (6) Avoid being emotional; keep your mind steady. (7) Don’t stop in your tracks; motivate yourself. (8) Do not give up easily, do not be arrogant, do not be lazy or impatient, and do not give up on yourself. (9) Don’t always defend your subordinates. If you defend your subordinates in every situation, they will become overconfident, while your supervisors and peers will think that you are unreasonable and lack discipline. A team leader who always defends his subordinates is the most popular among them, but such a person certainly won’t last long in that role. Please remember that, as a leader, it is only one aspect to ensure that your subordinates are satisfied; the fundamental task is to achieve the organization’s goals and to have employees fulfill the responsibilities that lie with them. VI. 10 Abilities of Team Leaders (1) Professional Technical Skills: Team leaders are frontline commanders who lead their teams in battle, and they must be proficient in all aspects of relevant skills. Specifically, one needs to have extensive practical experience in production and safety technologies, master the labor skills required for production operations, serve as a technical role model within the team, be able to resolve technical difficulties at critical moments, guide subordinates, and provide suggestions to supervisors. (2) The team leader responsible for goal governance should possess the ability to set advanced and feasible objectives in terms of theme, timeline, quantity, as well as the capability to complete these tasks. Break down the targets and tasks assigned by higher authorities into individual tasks and goals for team members, thereby enhancing their sense of participation and fostering continuous improvement. (3) Ability to solve problems: Team leaders must be good at identifying problems, brave enough to face them head-on, and willing to resolve them, in order to achieve new breakthroughs in resolving conflicts and addressing issues. (4) The ability to delegate tasks based on individual strengths enables the allocation of work according to each person’s characteristics, allowing all employees to utilize their abilities and work together to achieve an effect where 1+1>2. Know people well and assign them appropriate tasks, making use of their strengths; be skilled at motivating and unleashing the enthusiasm and initiative of team members. One shouldn’t do everything personally; it’s necessary to give subordinates a chance to train and grow. (5) The ability to communicate and listen: Communication skills refer to the ability to speak, listen, discuss, and persuade others. Good communication and coordination can reduce friction, create a harmonious atmosphere, boost morale, and help build strong relationships of trust. (6) The ability to be humorous: Humor can make the work atmosphere more relaxed and create a sense of friendliness. A humorous ruler can help your subordinates experience the joy in work. In some awkward situations, appropriate humor can instantly lighten the atmosphere and facilitate better work. (7) Effective leaders who are good at reducing stress not only know how to motivate their employees but also how to motivate themselves. Self-motivation is an important means of alleviating stress; it can turn stress into motivation and boost confidence in achieving success at work. (8) The ability of supervisors to provide guidance: Supervisors should offer business guidance to employees, impart necessary knowledge and methods, and point out their shortcomings in order to boost their motivation at work. It’s better to teach someone how to fish than to give them fish. (9) Self-control and restraint: Team leaders must possess strong emotional control skills, clearly understand their own strengths and weaknesses, manage their emotions, and restrain themselves from engaging in inappropriate or unsound behavior. (10) To review and summarize, one must cultivate one’s writing and speaking skills, be good at summarizing experience, and strive to improve governance capabilities. Ensure proper communication from higher levels to lower levels and from lower levels to higher levels.