Roles & Responsibilities
In this article we explore the Roles & Responsibilities of a Leader. We often intuitively know that a leader is a person who commands a group, organisation or country yet we often witness individuals in non-leadership roles exhibit ‘leadership qualities’ or see individuals in leadership roles struggle suggesting the title itself is not enough to be called a great leader. You are therefore not alone if you ask “What is a leader?” or “Am I doing enough as a leader?”
There are many nuances to a leader's role and we often overlook the knowledge and skill jumps between role levels. We may even be confused as to which role is responsible for which activity. This can lead to confusion and sometimes even conflicts, misunderstandings, over and under stepping or that common emotion for leaders, stress, and anxiety…
To help you navigate the complexities of leadership this article provides a simple framework for the roles & responsibilities of a leader. It starts with an overview of the general roles and responsibilities for what leadership fundamentally is and then delves into the nuances of an individual contributor with leadership responsibilities, a team lead, and a manager. It is important to note this is a generalised overview and some companies define leadership differently, i.e., a flat organisation vs a hierarchical organisation vs a hybrid which can lead to variations in this framework but it still sets the groundwork for what good leadership should do.
The General Responsibilities of a Leader
Let’s explore the general roles and responsibilities of a leader. Note, that this is a general list of ALL responsibilities and it is therefore a lot of activities. This is why the organisation often splits the responsibilities across multiple roles.
TIP: why not note down the ones you are NOT doing from this list so that you can consider whether you are covering all of the roles and responsibilities you need to be, or whether another role is appropriately doing it on your behalf? In other words, roles & responsibilities should be delegated to roles with enough experience or support to do the tasks needed, and it should align with their overall job duties. It cannot just be given to anyone.
Define the strategic direction the team should take and ensure this aligns with the bigger picture (e.g., based on the movement of the market it is in or from insight gained from customer feedback etc.)
Define what not to do or leave behind e.g., dropping an unsuccessful product
Communicate frequently and listen for feedback (e.g. communicate changes in strategy, and listen for feedback to see if the message was understood or should be repeated or rephrased to meet the individual's needs.)
Act with integrity ensuring any decisions made are achievable and responsible (activities should be in line with ethics, company culture and the law).
Lead by example by demonstrating the values, work ethic, and behaviour expected from team members, creating a role model for them to emulate.
Ensure goals/objectives align appropriately with the strategic direction set.
Provide the resources and tools required for the team to excel without distractions e.g., training, IT software and hardware, and HR policies for security… (a tool that errors frequently wasting time is an example of a distraction)
Ensuring processes are supportive and reasonable rather than burdensome and complex, or, non-existent which leads to misunderstandings and confusion
Monitor the performance of the team and the individual
Provide feedback to improve team and individual performance
Manage the team’s and individual’s development
Manage conflict resolution and issue management so that the team is operating effectively rather than in conflict or struggle.
Anticipate potential risks and be proactive in addressing them while guiding the team through changes that arise.
Ensure financial stability of the team (budget management)
Ensure stakeholders are supported appropriately by the team, and the stakeholders are supporting the team appropriately
Ensuring a culture of productivity, efficiency, innovation, collaboration and well-being
Promote a shared vision and inspire commitment by helping the team see the larger purpose behind their work and inspire them to engage with the vision and mission of the organization.
Build a sense of ownership and accountability by empowering team members to take responsibility for their actions and outcomes while holding them accountable for their performance.
Ensure alignment of individual strengths with roles by leveraging the unique skills and talents of each team member, and aligning them to tasks and projects with their strengths to maximize efficiency and satisfaction.
Maintain transparency and openness by building trust within the team by being open about decisions, challenges, and future direction, ensuring everyone feels included and informed. (Privacy is important in an organisation to ensure day-to-day operations continue without interruption whilst decision-making processes are in flight but some organisations handle this badly and it builds a culture of secrecy and distrust which is detrimental to the company's health. If you are not sure how to handle this coaching or mentoring can be very useful.)
Adapt their leadership style based on the team’s needs by recognising when a more directive or hands-off approach is necessary depending on the maturity and development of the team.
Promote diversity and inclusion by ensuring that the team values diverse perspectives and build an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and valued.
Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing by creating an atmosphere where collaboration is encouraged, and team members actively share knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned.
Develop and maintain strategic partnerships by building and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, both inside and outside the organization, that can support the team’s success.
This is quite a list, isn’t it?!
How do the leadership tasks listed above align with the activities you do as a leader? Are there any you need to start doing?
Did you find any that you thought, “I am not sure this applies to how I want to lead teams…”?
There are many misunderstandings of what leadership is or is not which may mean you have interpreted leadership differently to true, good quality leadership. Be aware that many leaders think “I am doing a good job” but have large levels of resignations, dwindling numbers or unhappy clients. Might this be you? If it could be, why not review Emerging Leaders Development Programme to learn more about how coaching can remove the uncertainty of whether you excel at leadership.
Did you find any you aren’t doing but wonder if you should be, or feel that pit of the stomach anxiety of “I am not sure how to do this” or if “Am I doing it correctly?”?
You could benefit from our coaching programme because the approach taken helps you identify what responsibilities you should have and how to navigate them. Why not review the Emerging Leaders Development Programme to learn more?
Why wait, if you could take action to become better today?
Great! Now that we have looked at leadership IN GENERAL we can now start to consider the roles and responsibilities against different roles. This is a framework based on SaaS technology companies and it can vary depending on the organisation. Whether or not there are differences, this information can be a useful starting place for you to confirm your duties with your management.
Summary of Duties and Impact
Individual Contributor with Leadership Responsibilities: Leads by example, supports peers, and drives business results through their excellence. Their impact is primarily on team performance and productivity, creating a culture of collaboration and innovation. For example, Senior Developer with mentoring duties.
Team Lead: Focuses on managing people and resources to ensure the team meets its goals. Their impact extends to creating a motivated, high-performing team, optimizing business processes in the team, and building a positive organizational culture. They call out issues/opportunities to management who then guidance and direction back down into the team.
New Manager: Leads both people and processes to align team efforts with business strategy. They (usually) oversee the budget and signoff procedures for new initiatives. They also are ultimately responsible for any stakeholder relationship and external parties.
By fulfilling these duties, leaders in all three roles not only contribute to the success of their teams and businesses but also drive broader social and ethical impacts that extend beyond the workplace.
Let’s deep dive these roles more to better understand them:
Individual Contributor with Leadership Responsibilities
An Individual Contributor is a role that doesn't involve management responsibilities, meaning they don't have direct reports to govern or support within a hierarchy, but they have been delegated some leadership responsibilities.
This is different from an individual who shows “leadership qualities” who neither has direct reports nor has been delegated responsibility but simply shows these qualities naturally.
Duties:
Provide mentorship to peers and juniors in their area of expertise.
Lead by example through high performance and consistent work ethic.
Take ownership of complex tasks or projects and ensure their successful completion.
Communicate effectively with peers and managers, offering feedback and updates on progress.
Support team goals by aligning individual contributions with overall team objectives.
Promote collaboration within the team by sharing knowledge and resources.
Team Lead
A Team Lead is an individual who is responsible for guiding and coordinating a specific team, ensuring tasks and projects of the whole team are completed successfully. While they may not have formal management responsibilities, they often provide direction, mentorship, and support to team members. Their role focuses more on overseeing the day-to-day activities of the team, troubleshooting challenges, and ensuring the team meets its objectives. They also feed back to more senior leadership to help their management manage the team.
Duties:
Manage team performance, ensuring goals are met and high standards are maintained.
Foster team development through feedback, coaching, and professional growth opportunities.
Ensure clear communication within the team, addressing any issues or roadblocks.
Monitor team dynamics, resolving conflicts and promoting collaboration.
Delegate tasks effectively, ensuring the right people are assigned to the right projects.
Set and track team goals, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Manager
A Manager is responsible for overseeing a group of individuals or a department, ensuring the team achieves its goals in alignment with the broader organization’s objectives. Managers typically have formal authority over team members, which includes decision-making, performance evaluation, resource allocation, and handling conflicts or personnel issues. Managers focus on both the strategic and operational aspects of the team or department, ensuring that goals are met efficiently and effectively.
Duties:
Oversee relations with stakeholders, ensuring both sides of the relationship are functioning optimally as a result of the collaboration/relationship between them. (E.g., alignment with finance on the budget.)
Monitor customer satisfaction to gain insight on what to improve within the organisation.
Lead and manage people—setting clear expectations, conducting performance reviews, and addressing issues promptly.
Oversee team goals and tasks, ensuring alignment with both departmental and organizational objectives.
Develop and implement strategies to enhance team performance and efficiency (e.g., process improvement).
Provide guidance and develop team members, focusing on their growth and professional development.
Manage team resources effectively, ensuring deadlines are met and the team has the correct skills and tools available to excel (if necessary initiating training, coaching, hiring, team resizing plans or technology implementation projects).
Facilitate communication between team members and upper management, ensuring both sides are informed and aligned.
How does this align with your organisation and role?
Did this align with your understanding of leadership?
Each role requires new soft skills and leadership qualities to be used together appropriately to drive success. This can be tough but this is why we have developed our programme to give you an easy framework to work through so that you can excel. Why not review the Emerging Leaders Development Programme to learn more about how coaching could help you? Remember, we need great leaders in this world today! We need you!