# Team Leader Guide

As a Team Leader (TL) in AIESEC in Denmark, you are the bridge between your functional Vice President (VP) and the members on your team. Your job is not to do the work for your team — it is to create the conditions where your team members can grow, deliver, and enjoy the experience. This page covers the core responsibilities, frameworks, and habits that make a great TL.

## TL vs TM: Understanding the Difference

It is important to distinguish your role from that of a general Talent Management (TM) function member:

| Aspect             | Team Leader (TL)                          | TM Function Member                  |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Focus**          | Leading a specific team within a function | Supporting LC-wide people processes |
| **Reports to**     | Functional VP                             | VP TM                               |
| **Primary output** | Team results + member development         | Recruitment, retention, NPS         |
| **People scope**   | Your 3–8 team members                     | All LC members                      |

{% hint style="info" %}
Your VP sets the "what" — the goals, targets, and strategic priorities. Your job as TL is to own the "how" — how your team organises itself, communicates, and delivers.
{% endhint %}

## Core Responsibilities

* **Set clear expectations** for each team member during the first two weeks of their journey
* **Run weekly team meetings** that are structured, energising, and action-oriented
* **Conduct regular 1:1 conversations** (at least bi-weekly) to track progress and well-being
* **Give timely feedback** using a structured model so members know where they stand
* **Track Measures of Success (MoS)** for your team and report progress to your VP
* **Support Personal Development Plans (PDPs)** so every member leaves AIESEC with tangible growth
* **Escalate blockers** to your VP when your team faces obstacles beyond your authority

## Running Effective Team Meetings

A great team meeting has three parts: connection, content, and commitment.

### Suggested Weekly Meeting Structure (45–60 min)

1. **Check-in (5 min)** — A quick round where each member shares how they are doing (use a 1–10 scale, a word, or an emoji). This builds psychological safety.
2. **Celebrations (5 min)** — Recognise wins from the past week, no matter how small. Recognition fuels motivation.
3. **MoS Review (10 min)** — Review the team tracker together. Where are you on target? Where are you behind? Be honest and factual.
4. **Focus Topic (15–20 min)** — Deep-dive on one priority: a campaign launch, a process improvement, a skill-building session. Rotate who leads this.
5. **Action Items (10 min)** — Each person states their top 1–3 commitments for the coming week. Write them down visibly.
6. **Check-out (5 min)** — One word or sentence about how the meeting felt. Adjust the format if energy is consistently low.

{% hint style="info" %}
Rotate the meeting facilitator role among team members every few weeks. This builds their leadership skills and keeps the format fresh.
{% endhint %}

## The 1:1 Framework

One-on-one meetings are your most powerful tool as a TL. They are the space where trust is built, feedback is exchanged, and personal development actually happens.

### How to Run a 1:1

* **Frequency:** Every two weeks, 20–30 minutes
* **Ownership:** The team member owns the agenda. You guide the conversation.
* **Location:** Somewhere comfortable — a quiet room, a walk, a coffee shop. Not in the middle of an LC meeting.

### Suggested 1:1 Agenda

1. **How are you?** — Start with the person, not the task. Ask about energy, motivation, and workload.
2. **Progress check** — What did you commit to? What got done? What did not?
3. **Blockers** — What is getting in the way? How can I help?
4. **Development** — What skill are you working on? What did you learn this period?
5. **Feedback exchange** — Share one piece of feedback (see SBI model below). Ask for feedback on your own leadership.
6. **Next steps** — Agree on 1–2 priorities for the next two weeks.

## The SBI Feedback Model

SBI stands for **Situation, Behaviour, Impact**. It is the recommended feedback framework across AIESEC because it keeps feedback specific, factual, and non-judgemental.

| Step          | What to do                                 | Example                                                                                               |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Situation** | Describe the specific context              | "During last Tuesday's team meeting..."                                                               |
| **Behaviour** | Describe the observable action             | "...you presented the campaign results without preparation and read directly from the spreadsheet..." |
| **Impact**    | Describe the effect on the team or outcome | "...which made it hard for the team to understand the key takeaways, and we ran over time."           |

After delivering the SBI, invite a response: "How do you see it?" or "What would you do differently next time?"

{% hint style="info" %}
SBI works equally well for positive feedback. Replace the impact with the positive effect: "...which made the new members feel genuinely welcomed and set a great tone for the semester."
{% endhint %}

## Measures of Success (MoS) Tracking

Every TL should maintain a simple, visible tracker for their team's Measures of Success. Your VP will define the MoS at the start of the term. Your job is to:

1. **Break MoS into weekly or bi-weekly milestones** so progress is tangible
2. **Review the tracker at every team meeting** — make it a habit, not a surprise
3. **Identify early warning signs** — if you are behind at week 3, waiting until week 8 will not help
4. **Report honestly to your VP** — share both good news and bad news early

{% hint style="warning" %}
MoS definitions and target-setting are owned by VPs and the MC. If you are unclear about your team's MoS, ask your VP before the term begins. Do not wait.
{% endhint %}

## Personal Development Plans (PDPs)

A PDP is a simple document where a member identifies 2–3 skills they want to develop during their AIESEC experience, and outlines concrete actions to get there.

### PDP Structure

| Element                | Description                                                                    |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Skill / Competency** | What do you want to improve? (e.g., public speaking, project management)       |
| **Current Level**      | Honest self-assessment — where are you now?                                    |
| **Target Level**       | Where do you want to be by the end of the term?                                |
| **Actions**            | What will you do to get there? (e.g., lead 2 presentations, attend a workshop) |
| **Support Needed**     | What do you need from your TL or LC?                                           |
| **Review Date**        | When will you and your TL revisit this?                                        |

As a TL, your role is to help members create their PDP in the first month, revisit it at mid-term, and celebrate growth at end-of-term.

## Training Materials

{% embed url="<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jnChTNs0yyy8OYUgL2_mQr6hHb0DlByyco7UcYE0aos/embed>" %}

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IwVHa5KqfEaT3RUlu-fjdLonibk5SzZp/view>" %}

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UXphQi_56kTb5LbvVS7b2dquRVxFSul_/preview>" %}

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1URvbEVI4vmeWTNdYHI1XZFOsD3leghpw/view>" %}

{% embed url="<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dg3XN3sZeve475smUElRewv9STIeJcpgnR2pIIMExrU/embed>" %}

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z9WnJNz7BPjeE6Omx0E2OgevJ_e5dyTv/preview>" %}

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S77kgi06BVX6vS6RushXFOWJN-GjDyXX/preview>" %}

{% embed url="<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CyvAiRPqm_tRZAhkoEgdYLqMOu7oG1lC/preview>" %}

{% hint style="info" %}
📁 **Full resource folder:** `05b — Team Leader/` in the shared Google Drive
{% endhint %}

## Resources

{% hint style="info" %}
All templates, guides, and toolkits for Team Leaders are stored in the shared Google Drive under **`05b — Team Leader/`**. Check there for meeting agenda templates, PDP templates, and the MoS tracker.
{% endhint %}

* SBI Feedback one-pager — `05b — Team Leader/`
* Team meeting agenda template — `05b — Team Leader/`
* PDP template — `05b — Team Leader/`
* LeaderLab micro-learning series — see [LeaderLab](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide/leaderlab.md)
* Team building activities — see [Team Building](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide/team-building.md)

*Last updated: April 2026 · Maintained by: MC VP Talent Management*


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