Value of team engagement

I've been in software industry since 2005 and I've been leading teams since last 6 years. Ever since I got a chance to lead a team, I was always experimenting with this role to make environment around me more interesting and result oriented. I've worked with people with different attitudes, behavior and thoughts. Every time I learn new lesson and I made sure that even my team members learn from it. In every experiment there is a common thing - How to engage every team member in what team is trying to deliver. 

Ever since I started this experiment I found it unique to the team I’m dealing with. But, there are some common points, which I observed most of the time:

• When a piece of work need to be handled by the team, then try to involve every member of the team.
• Give a chance to speak, listen to what they are saying and show them that it is counted.
• Make them feel like they have ownership of what they are doing and they take complete responsibility of what they are delivering.
• Decisions/solutions should evolve and they should always come from a consensus instead a single person defining it.
• If a team is engaged in decision making and that decision is for the team then everybody should be convinced about it otherwise it will not be followed as few thinks it isn't for them.

These are small things but definitely makes lot of difference in a team. 

Lead India

Lead India... Many of us are aware about this campaign in Times of India news paper. Though we get few leaders at the end of this campaign, but I'm still not clear about what they are going to do after that. Until and unless individuals mentality changes what we can do in this democratic nation?

Everybody is looking for a leader instead of changing themselves by inspiring others. Traffic situations are becoming worse day by day, but nobody is worried about it. Everybody breaks the rules without even thinking about others. Nobody wants to inspire others by following rules, more over they say that if you follow the rule, others will break and you are left behind in the traffic.

Regular scene at railway gates... vehicles standing on the other side of the road... once gate opens then there wont be any way for the vehicles on the right side. Basic common sense is lacking in drivers... What can we do to avoid this?

There are hell lot of problems, and very few takers for these. When this will change?