The Blog

You’re in a team leader role. Whether it’s brand new or you’ve been doing it a while, you’ll already know this: managing people can be brilliant and maddening, in the space of a single day.

You’re expected to set the tone, keep everything moving and deal with whatever or whoever throws the rhythm off. And no one gives you a manual.

This post is about the everyday people stuff: pushback, quiet team members, underperformance, culture. The things you can’t ignore and how to handle them without the drama.

Pushback? Keep calm and loop back

You’re in a team meeting, you’ve just shared a new standard or expectation and someone says, “Yeah… that doesn’t really apply to me.” What do you do? Firstly, don’t panic. Loop back to the basics:

• Why this matters

• What the non-negotiables are

• How you’ll support them to get there

• When you’ll review progress

If you’ve done all of that and still nothing changes, it’s time to ask – is this about skill or mindset? If the support is in place and shift isn’t happening, it’s likely resistance and that needs a firmer, clearer conversation about expectations.

Likeable… but underperforming

You’ve got someone who brings great energy to the team but their output isn’t where it needs to be. It’s easy to let it slide but that sends the wrong message. Instead:

• Use data, make the gap clear and objective

• Acknowledge what they bring

• Reiterate what good performance looks like

Charm’s great but it doesn’t replace delivery!

The quiet ones

You’ve probably got someone who rarely speaks in meetings. It doesn’t mean they don’t care; they might just need a bit more space or encouragement. Try this:

• Prime them in advance (a quick heads-up before the meeting)

• Invite them in gently during the meeting

• Praise them afterwards when they do contribute

You’re not trying change their personality, just helping them feel safe to speak.

Getting people to work together

Sometimes, it’s not about individuals but about how they gel (or don’t). If you’ve got friction between colleagues, don’t hope it’ll fix itself. Instead, help them learn how to work together professionally:

• Set up structured collaboration: clear goals, shared ownership

• Make joint accountability part of the task

Meetings: Set the tone early

Meetings are where your team culture shows up. If you start with waffle and no structure, that becomes the norm. Try this:

• Start with one clear purpose

• Set a time and stick to it

• Assign roles if needed

You’ll be amazed how much smoother things run!

Give better feedback

Shape what you want to say, rather than a script:

• Start with what went well

• Offer one thing to improve

• Show belief they can do it

And if you don’t have the answer to something, say so. Share what you do know and set a time to follow up. 

Shift the energy

If there’s a negative vibe in the room, turn complaints into questions:

• “What do you think we should do?”

• “What can we control here?”

You’ll be helping them move into solution mode rather than just shutting them down.

Start small. Keep going.

You don’t need to fix everything overnight. Just pick one or two things to focus on, like being clearer, or more consistent. Do them often. Bit by bit, your team will settle into a rhythm, know what’s expected, and start running with it.

Want more of this? Tune into our 26-minute episode of The Reality of Business – Team Leaders Part 1: People Management Without the Drama.