My Role as a Coordinator at Intraway
In March 2013, I started working for Intraway. I joined this company because I really wanted to. After 12 years in my previous job, I realized there were no more challenges for me and the salary was no longer a priority for continuing in that company. Therefore, I decided to quit and look for new ways.
At the beginning, it was quite difficult because I was used to a totally different working environment. Almost a year and a half later, Intraway provided me with the opportunity to coordinate a team. Along with that chance, thousands of doubts appeared in my mind because, although in my previous job I was a mentor, coordinating a group was not the same.
What is the Meaning of Being a LEADER?
I started looking for information about my new position and I found a word that drew my attention. The word was “Leader”. By definition, a leader is a person who can influence others. It is the mentor within a group (for example, on a sports team, in a university course, in a particular department of a company). However, in most of the cases, I see every day, I cannot find the example of a leader I am looking for. I have also realized that the high technical knowledge of many of the leaders of this company is not enough to help me understand what the key to being a good leader is.
The first question I asked myself was “Is a leader born or made?” It came to my mind after reading an article in Forbes magazine about this topic. As in all areas of life, there is a natural part we are born with and then there is a part we have to work on and improve through practice and experience. Although in my previous job I was a mentor, I then realized that being a mentor is only one of the characteristics that a leader must have; and it is not enough, indeed.
Responsibilities and Skills of a Good Leader
Regarding leadership skills, there are many aspects to consider: the personality of the leader and how it influences other team members, if the leader is a good listener and pays attention to the issues arising in the team, how the leader solves problems; if the leader knows when to put some pressure on the team, how each team member behaves and reacts to the leader´s orders and requests, among others. Personally speaking, my priority as a coordinator and a leader is to create a great team and to show them that we all have to help and listen to one another in order to create a pleasant working environment.
In my case, these are some of the tasks I have to perform:
- Make the team members feel comfortable with their tasks.
- Make the team members understand what their responsibilities, rights and obligations are. In my mind, this is the key rule to creating a good working environment for any team.
- Show respect for the team members´ opinions and issues.
- Make a great effort to trust the decisions made by the team.
On the one hand, I try to listen and get involved with team members because I see myself as part of the team. Anything that happens in the team affects me directly and I feel I need to solve the problems that arise. On the other hand, I also think that I have some points to improve as a coordinator. I believe delegating tasks is quite difficult and I need to work on it. I would also like to create a sense of belonging to the group: so that the team members see themselves as part of the team, too, and that the group becomes more homogeneous. Of course, this does not mean that we all need to be friends but, considering that we spend a lot of time together, and sometimes travel together, it is really necessary to achieve this goal.
Finally, I think there is plenty of work to be done and I also need help from the company to reach my goals. My idea is to develop a great team and to lead a homogeneous group that I am sure it will allow me to grow not only individually but also as a team member. I hope to achieve these goals in the short term; it surely requires a lot of effort but I know we will make it happen!
