You are the team leader. Your job description states so and everyone looks up to you for guidance in performing their job requirements. Recognising your team's assets, and building from there upwards is a definite guarantee for a winning score. Promote and support an open line of communication within your team. Motivate your team from the onset with the meaning of "teamwork'' and make an outline of each member's responsibilities and/or expectations. Use what I consider, in my humble opinion, one of the best team motivating quotes by Henry Ford (the Ford motor car founder) he said "coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.'' There is really no one correct answer on how to lead your team. However, there are leadership pitfalls you can avoid in building your team.

Don't be a bully. An overpowering leader is not an effective leader and it causes bad feelings within your team. Leading with a quiet strong attitude is much more effective. Respect what your team members have to share. Your team's most valuable asset is its collection of skills and talents and your team will function better if the assets of its members are acknowledged. All members of your team do not need to be rocket scientists. Recognise members for their personal and individual worth. Remember these same team-building standards of conduct applies whether you are your organisation's team leader or serving as an association leader.

Learn the skill of effective teamwork. Most first time team leaders, fearful of sharing or losing full control, chase away some their most valuable players way before the first game. Don't let this dreadful insecurity plague you.

Become a great team leader by being respectful to all your team members.

Include all of your players in the decision making process.

Encourage innovation. Don't ridicule or discredit any of your team members' suggestions. This can only discourage an inexperienced team member to share their ideas and the experienced member to withdraw their services completely.

Meet with your team players on a regular basis. Make sure all members are aware of schedules and agendas. One of the most common complaints I heard from team leaders is that they are tired of following up with team members.

Unfortunately, this can become redundant but its part of the team leader's responsibility unless it was delegated to another member and even so, the buck stops with you. Ultimately, it's your duty to keep your team together.

Depending on the range of work that needs to be done, meet as often as possible. Plan to meet on a weekly basis especially if you are running a high-pressured action team. This allows you to be updated regularly and further enables you to take care of any major and minor hiccups before they become a serious problem.

Last but definitely not least, remember respect cannot be commanded, it must be shown and earned. Don't expect your team players to respect you just because you are the leader. And being lenient is not the way to gain respect from your players. Some team leaders are so hung up on being liked by everyone and trying to please everyone that they sacrifice effective leadership. Don't fall into that trap.

*** Cindy Swan is a Professional Organizer with over 20 years of office administrative managerial experience and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Her column appears in the business section on the first and third Thursday of each month. Address inquiries to Cindy Swan, PO Box 304 St. George's GEBX or email her at bermudagolf yibl.bm