Team leadership is about creating the conditions for people to understand objectives, make decisions autonomously, contribute, learn and grow. To achieve this, it is essential to explain the purpose, truly listen, address conflict constructively, delegate with trust and continuously review the impact we have on others. Clarity, psychological safety and a sense of humour also help build teams that are able to disagree, learn from mistakes and move forward in a common direction.
Leading a team means providing purpose, clarity and autonomy, listening actively, managing conflict constructively and creating the conditions for each person to learn, contribute and grow.
What does it mean to lead a team without an instruction manual?
I have been leading a team for almost three years. As you can see, that is not an eternity, but it is long enough for me to have learnt two things: leadership does not come with an instruction manual, and just when you think you have finally figured it out, Monday at 9:03 a.m. comes along to remind you that there is still more to learn.
For several months, we took part in a leadership programme in which we worked on vision, self-leadership, influence, communication, conflict, purpose and productivity. I came away with some very practical tools, and I also liked discovering that many of the ideas the programme put a name to were already part of the way I lead. I see my approach to leadership as influencing, supporting, asking questions and leading by example. And, of course, it also involves getting things wrong and trying again, because perfection, as well as being exhausting, is pretty much impossible.
Telefónica’s High Impact Culture, the company’s new cultural model, has made this even clearer to me: culture can be seen in how we prioritise, make decisions, give feedback and manage mistakes. These are the ideas that have stayed with me the most.
Why does inspiring leadership begin with explaining the purpose?
People are not driven by tasks alone; they are driven by purpose. That is why it is important for the team to understand where we are going and why. I use a simple rule here: objective, result and task. The objective provides meaning, the result, or KPI, tells us whether we are making progress, and the task is the specific action. When we mix them up, we can end up running very fast in the wrong direction.
Giving our best means focusing our energy on what generates impact and simplifying what adds no value. Sometimes that means adding a priority; at other times, and perhaps more difficultly, it means deciding what we are going to stop doing.
How can you influence a team to make things happen?
An inspiring speech rarely transforms things on its own. The six sources of influence model, developed by Joseph Grenny and his co-authors in the book Influencer, helped me see that motivation matters, but it does not work alone: a person’s ability, the group, the environment, the tools and recognition all play a part too. I take three principles from this:
- Clarity before generalities: explaining what we expect, when we expect it and what outcome we are looking for turns an intention into observable behaviour.
- Ability before judgement: before assuming that someone is unwilling, it is worth checking whether they know how, whether they are able to do it or whether there is an unnecessary barrier in their way.
- Ask before solving: the person closest to the problem can see things that the leader cannot. When the solution is built together with that person, both the solution and their sense of responsibility improve.
Autonomy does not mean saying, “you’re on your own”. It means providing clarity about the objective, room to make decisions and responsibility for the outcome.
Why is active listening essential when leading a team?
If I had to choose one essential leadership skill, I would say listening. But really listening, rather than politely waiting for your turn while mentally preparing a brilliant response. And separating facts from interpretations: when we interpret, we judge; when we focus on facts, we ask questions. That distinction can completely change a conversation.
Alignment does not require unanimity either. An aligned team can disagree and debate and, once a decision has been made, move forward in the same direction. That requires clarity and courage: saying what needs to be said, respectfully and with evidence, without being abrupt and without turning every meeting into a battle.
When a disagreement arises, I try to move away from “I want this and you want that” and focus instead on the objective we share. Many conversations change when we replace “but” with a question: “What are we both trying to achieve?”
How can conflict be managed constructively within a team?
For a long time, I thought a good working environment was one without conflict. I was wrong. Conflict that is avoided does not disappear; it simply moves to another room and tends to reappear later, with interest.
As a leader, it is my responsibility to create space for productive conflict, where ideas can be challenged without attacking people. That requires psychological safety, a concept popularised by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson and a fundamental aspect that should be present within teams. It means creating an environment where people can ask questions, disagree or acknowledge a mistake without fear of being singled out. This is built through trust, consistency and a simple gesture: asking for a different point of view before making a final decision, for example.
Why is delegation an act of trust and an opportunity for growth?
For me, delegation is an act of trust: a way of developing capabilities and allowing other people to gain experience. That means accepting that not everything will be done exactly as I would do it. And thankfully so, because if the team could only do things my way, it would not be a team; it would be a franchise of myself.
Growing together also means sharing opportunities and not always turning to the same people. When everything important ends up in the same hands, some people become exhausted while others never get the chance to show what they can do.
Good leadership does not solve every problem for the team; it helps the team solve problems. It provides guidance and support and then steps back enough for the person to take ownership.
What does leading a team mean in everyday practice?
After this journey, my conclusion is simple: leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about creating the conditions for other people to understand, decide, contribute, learn and grow. The High Impact Culture sums this up as giving our best, challenging our limits and growing together: three ideas that only truly make sense when they become part of our everyday decisions.
If I compare the Elena who started leading almost three years ago with the Elena of today, there is one thing I understand much more clearly: my job is not to shine, but to help each person on the team shine in their own right.
Another tool that I consider essential in the day-to-day management of teams is a sense of humour. It eases tension, makes it easier to acknowledge a mistake and turns a difficult Monday into something we face together. A team that can laugh at itself is more willing to ask questions, disagree, experiment, make mistakes and learn from them.
I increasingly understand what I want to do and how much I still have to improve. Perhaps that is what leadership is about: influencing with intention, reviewing your own impact and never stopping learning.
Leadership means making sure that change does not depend on you being there to lead it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to lead a team?
It means creating the conditions for people to understand the objective, make decisions autonomously and grow. It is not about giving orders or having all the answers.
What is psychological safety within a team?
It means being able to ask questions, disagree or acknowledge a mistake without fear of being singled out. It does not mean lowering standards.
Why is delegation important?
Because delegation is an act of trust: it develops capabilities, distributes opportunities and prevents everything from depending on the leader.
Does a sense of humour help with leadership?
Yes. It helps ease tension, makes it easier to acknowledge mistakes and encourages the team to ask questions, disagree and try new things.
