DREIESKIVA​|Roald Kvam

Every great team was once just a group of individuals
They didn’t know much about each other;
they had to learn to trust each other;
they had to find common ground to collaborate on.

It is both a shared responsibility and a leadership task to turn a group into a team.
A leader cannot create a team alone.
Yet, there is much a leader can do to facilitate and unleash a collective creative force within a group:

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I. Set clear goals

a) Defined goals

• Everyone understands their individual and team objectives
• Goals are designed to maintain focus and direction

b) Clarified roles

• Each member knows their duties and responsibilities
• Roles are designed to prevent overlap and confusion

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II. Keep communication open

a) A sharing culture

• Ideas are shared freely
• Foster trust and openness

b) Transparency

• Communicate both progress and challenges—consistently
• Keep the team united, through thick and thin

We win together. We lose together. We restart together.

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III. Hold effective meetings

a) Respect time

• Be punctual and stay focused
• Meetings are designed to be productive and concise

b) Value authenticity

• Encourage open expression of thoughts and emotions
• Promote honesty and mutual respect

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IV. Speak well of your people!

a) Show appreciation

• Recognize good effort regularly
• Say thank you often—it lifts morale and weakens resentment

b) Celebrate (small) wins

• Acknowledge both team and individual accomplishments
• Lead the way in creating a positive and supportive culture

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V. Lay a solid foundation for trust

a) Meaningful connections

• Allow team members to bond both professionally and socially
• Invest in activities, training, and tools that strengthen teamwork

b) Respectful environment

• Resolve conflicts quickly and fairly—at the lowest possible level
• Take pride in ensuring everyone feels safe to be their best self

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A team isn’t built in 24 hours

But with wise leadership, it will take shape over time.
Here are 14 helpful tips to guide the way:

• Provide opportunities for growth
• Create a safe space—be a safe leader and colleague
• Offer—and seek—feedback
• Encourage collaboration—and collaborate yourself
• Set clear expectations—and don’t set the bar higher than you yourself can follow through on
• Encourage innovation—and know that change is not always easy or welcome
• Communicate openly—be vulnerably open yourself
• Celebrate small wins—including the lessons from tougher setbacks
• Admit your mistakes—make it clear that everyone makes mistakes, no one is a mistake
• Build connections
• Recognize effort
• Lead by example
• Show empathy
• Be transparent and real