What does a team leader do?
Team leaders are responsible for managing a team for a specific project or work component. They primarily guide the team members and ensure that they are still working towards the set goals. Team leaders create strategies to reach goals, cascade the goals and strategies to team members, assign tasks, conduct periodic check-ups on the roadmap towards the goals, foster an engaging work environment, motivate and coach team members, monitor team performance, evaluate the strategies and come up with mitigating plans as needed. They are also responsible for reporting the team's progress to higher management.
Team leader responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real team leader resumes:
- Manage ACD metrics and methodology, including reporting to Sr. Management.
- Set the highest standards for achieving company s KPIs, and holding staff individually accountable thereof.
- Lead and conduct daily port operations for all DOD cargo transiting through the state of Florida.
- Manage inventory and stock groceries, clothes and office supplies, handle supplies requests, revise logbook.
- Implement multiple tools and utilities (KaiZen ideas) to optimize and automate various processes across the projects.
- Manage online tasks, delegate and oversee responsibilities and projects, work with HTML coding, and update site content.
- Validate security features and employees payroll information within POS.
- Perform leader-on-duty (LOD) responsibilities and oversee total store operations.
- Portray excellent customer service while managing financial transactions between company and consumer using POS system.
- Assist in line deliveries and line takeaways.
- Guide team members through Starbucks barista training.
- Administer first aid & CPR audits to student staff.
- Maintain relationships with Starbucks license stores district manager on a monthly basis.
- Prepare lesson plans and used creative techniques to effectively teach math lessons.
- Design and develop comprehensive dashboards and sets of interactive reports in OBIEE for Sr.
Team leader skills and personality traits
We calculated that 26% of Team Leaders are proficient in Customer Service, Ladders, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Creativity.
We break down the percentage of Team Leaders that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 26%
Provide safety, security and inventory control leadership while maintaining a focus on providing exceptional customer service.
- Ladders, 9%
Used 10 to 12 foot ladders to dry clean/sanitize metal frames behind drywall.
- Patients, 6%
Promoted continuity of care by accurately and completely communicating to other caregivers the status of patients for which to provide.
- Sales Floor, 6%
Supervised five different departments to assured sufficient sales floor coverage.
- PET, 5%
Assisted customers with their specialty pet needs, including their housing, diet, and health related information.
- Safety Procedures, 4%
Analyzed, revised and initiated comprehensive security/safety procedures; to protect employees and company assets from internal and external sources.
Common skills that a team leader uses to do their job include "customer service," "ladders," and "patients." You can find details on the most important team leader responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a team leader to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "training and development specialists must evaluate training programs, methods, and materials and choose those that best fit each situation." Team leaders often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "fish analysis of hematological and pet probes/panels. "
Communication skills. Many team leader duties rely on communication skills. "training and development specialists must convey information clearly and facilitate learning to diverse audiences.," so a team leader will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways team leader responsibilities rely on communication skills: "removed as much inline javascript as possible and implemented score s component communication framework using requirejs. "
Creativity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of team leaders is creativity. This skill is critical to many everyday team leader duties, as "specialists should be resourceful when developing training materials." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "consulted with food and pet product vendors to ensure efficient supply levels and freshness of inventory. "
Instructional skills. team leader responsibilities often require "instructional skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "training and development specialists deliver employee training programs." This resume example shows what team leaders do with instructional skills on a typical day: "interviewed school community members, observed instruction, analyzed data and made recommendations for instructional improvements and professional development"
The three companies that hire the most team leaders are:
- Deloitte1,421 team leaders jobs
- Carrols Restaurant Group907 team leaders jobs
- Target893 team leaders jobs
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Compare different team leaders
Team leader vs. Customer service leader
A customer service leader is responsible for managing a group of customer service staff to provide the best customer service for the company's clients, ensuring immediate action and resolution for all their inquiries and concerns. Customer service leaders regularly offer coaching opportunities for the team, identify their challenges, and provide strategic procedures to improve their interaction with the customers. They also help senior management search for business opportunities that would drive more revenue for the company and achieve profitability goals.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, team leader responsibilities require skills like "ladders," "patients," "pet," and "safety procedures." Meanwhile a typical customer service leader has skills in areas such as "basic math," "store management," "first hand," and "strong customer service." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Customer service leaders tend to reach lower levels of education than team leaders. In fact, customer service leaders are 5.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Team leader vs. Technician support team leader
The Technician Support Team Leader is tasked with leading and training the technical support team. As a team leader, you will be required to organize scheduled staff reviews and communicate new procedures and policies with them. Your key role is to ensure that all goals are met. For all that you'll do, you'll have to ensure that the staff under you are highly productive, and you'd have to come up with ways to increase their productivity.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real team leader resumes. While team leader responsibilities can utilize skills like "ladders," "patients," "sales floor," and "pet," technician support team leaders use skills like "printers," "desktop support," "customer support," and "linux."
Technician support team leaders earn similar levels of education than team leaders in general. They're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Team leader vs. Shift leader
Shift leaders are tenured or experienced employees who are assigned to oversee employees in specific work shifts. They manage team members who are assigned in their shift. They also ensure that business goals are met. Shift leaders check whether team members are working, and they ensure that they always comply with company policies and guidelines. They also monitor the performance of their employees and coach them should the employees need help in any area of their work. Shift leaders should have good communication skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from team leader resumes include skills like "ladders," "safety procedures," "asphalt," and "hr," whereas a shift leader is more likely to list skills in "math," "cash handling," "management," and "basic math. "
Shift leaders typically earn lower educational levels compared to team leaders. Specifically, they're 7.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Team leader vs. Call center team leader
A call center team leader is someone who is hands-on with the team's supervision. Call center team leaders ensure that the right procedures are followed. They provide directions to staff on what they should do and the way they should make improvements. It is part of their job to intercede, give advice, or authorize special adjustments when any of their staff needs help with customers. The necessary skills for this job include flexibility, be able to provide regular coaching, and can boost morale.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between team leaders and call center team leaders, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a team leader might have more use for skills like "ladders," "patients," "sales floor," and "pet." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of call center team leaders require skills like "inbound calls," "outbound calls," "customer satisfaction," and "performance management. "
In general, call center team leaders hold similar degree levels compared to team leaders. Call center team leaders are 4.5% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of team leader
Updated January 8, 2025
