Sector News

Leadership and teamwork: The secret sauce to business success

May 4, 2017
Borderless Leadership

Strong, dominant team effort is facilitated by a leader who has a clear direction and the capacity to influence his or her team to work toward the realization of a vision. This point is illustrated nicely in the article “World-Class Teams” by David Kirk.

The leader is not intimidated in the least by the competence of his or her team. Rather, a robust, confident leader involves his or her colleagues in a conversation concerning exactly what high production and superior performance look like, just what is required to perform as well as complete the task. Furthermore, the leader motivates and empowers the team to pursue self-investment and self-improvement consistently.

Let us continue by breaking all that down into parts so that the leader can understand exactly how to achieve those outcomes.

Appointing The Leader

We begin with a crystal-clear, in-charge appointed leader. I believe without a defined, in-charge leader, there is no team, only a group of people with no framework to function. There has to be somebody who is in charge and hopefully makes the best choices.

Team members might take turns being the leader. This is okay as long as every person is clear who the leader is. An additional variant of that theme is to have particular people be the leader for jobs that are in their sphere of competence. However, no matter what the situation, there can be no question among colleagues who is in charge for that the particular period (whether it’s a day, week, month, etc.).

Having The Vision

To lead one must have the vision to share. This should remind you of Stephen Covey’s second habit: “Begin with the end in mind” or, as I like to call it, “back-from-the-future thinking.” The best way to think of it is that a real leader completes the mission (from conception to final product) two times the first — mentally and then in reality.

You cannot lead toward an unclear vision. People are not normally inspired to follow unpredictability. Simply having the vision is inadequate to influence your group or colleagues toward the same end. Good leaders understand how to aid each member in seeing just how the final product will be beneficial and what, precisely, their particular contribution is toward that end.

For example, just how does the cleaning person contribute to fans’ satisfaction at an NBA game? By offering a clean, sanitary washroom experience — that’s how. If the cleaning person sees himself as a crucial part of the big-picture goal, and receives positive reinforcement for it, then he is most likely to do the task enthusiastically.

Sharing The Mission

Another element of being able to motivate one’s colleagues is sharing a plainly defined mission that everybody, preferably, had a part in creating. But if not, at the very least employees should accept the previously developed team mission.

This becomes essential during disputes between employees. When there is a conflict to be addressed, it is valuable to have a currently established method to determine the solution. Solutions are always compared to the mission as well as whether it positions the team closer to the final goal. Conflict resolution is a key section in my Creating Teamwork and Participation program.

Another advantage of having a mission that’s been decided upon by all employees is that it can enhance teamwork. One of the toughest points to handle on a team are egos. There can be petty jealousy and competition that eliminates cooperation in the best groups. Mission statements are crucial to lessening this possibility for catastrophe. An article called “In Service Of The Mission: Teamwork and Shared Goals” describes perfectly what being mission oriented means.

The mission remains the focal point. An individual’s action is either useful or not to the mission and is handled accordingly. The team’s goal must always be placed above individual ego.

Collecting Diverse Information

A good leader isn’t threatened by the experience and the diversity of her team. The most effective leaders are always seeking information from their front-line people who are doing the real work. Without information from the employees, leaders operate blindly.

It is additionally crucial to utilize staff members in their areas of expertise. Leaders can not know everything. There will certainly be team members who have capabilities that go beyond those of the leader in certain areas. An excellent leader will ask for assistance when it is prudent.

This is additionally a time to value diversity. Having a group composed of individuals who all do the same work in virtually the same way has little creative value. Obtaining input and suggestions from individuals who do things in different ways are what will trigger the imagination and genius of the team. This is what makes “masterminding” compelling. Take advantage of the riches that are currently there in the group.

Striving For Excellence

Lastly, a good leader holds the bar high. They do not ask their team to be typical or average. Typical and average is easily replaced. The leader urges his or her team to do their best jointly, and when finished, the leader always asks the team to pursue continuous self-development. The job of continuous improvement never ends. The team ought to always examine what’s been completed as well as make strategies to do it even better.

Building A Positive Environment

Formerly, I stated that a great leader motivates and equips his or her teammates. Producing a positive atmosphere does this. Employees should get along and also recognize that leadership, as well as the firm, have their well-being at heart. They must feel vital, listened to, and appreciated. They need to have the freedom of decision-making and innovation within the context of their jobs, and they should have some fun doing it.

It is additionally vital for group members to feel secure. This means that they are not afraid of speaking. The team leader is crucial in promoting this environment for the empowerment of the entire team.

A leader who integrates each of these pieces into their leadership framework will likely have a team capable of accomplishing great things while having fun doing it.

By Theodore Henderson

Source: Forbes

comments closed

Related News

October 5, 2024

Iveta Fleming joins Borderless Executive Search

Borderless Leadership

LinkedIn Twitter Xing EmailBorderless welcomes Iveta Fleming, who has joined its team as an International Consultant. Born and raised in the Czech Republic, Iveta splits her time between the US […]

September 29, 2024

How 3 seasoned talent acquisition pros balance tech and human interaction

Borderless Leadership

As HR leaders face challenges in adapting to the evolving world of work, integrating AI and other advanced technologies into talent acquisition processes has become a critical focus. With organizations striving to balance efficiency with a human-centered approach, recent debates around the responsible use of HR tech are more relevant than ever.

September 21, 2024

Amazon mandates return to office, ending remote work

Borderless Leadership

Amazon has announced a stricter return-to-office policy, requiring corporate employees to work in the office five days a week starting in 2025. This decision, outlined in a memo by CEO Andy Jassy, marks a significant crackdown on remote work arrangements that have become prevalent since the pandemic.