Building a Successful Leadership Team
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” -Ken Blanchard
Let’s look at how you build a team that supports you as leader. Many of us would like to believe we can lead alone, but this is never the case when dealing with a group. A single person cannot fully guide a group of people for more than a short period of time. If I have learned anything from my research into personality, it is that everyone is different in their needs, goals, desires and ways of approaching things. We usually excel dealing with certain things and struggle in dealing with others. To try and be all things to a group of people is to stretch yourself thin. This is why it is necessary for a truly effective leader to create a team of people. Success tip number one: when leading others, do not fall prey to the arrogant notion that you can do it all yourself.
A common mistake leaders make when building teams is to go out of their way to choose members who agree with them. While this may make a cohesive team in the beginning, it tends to create problems later on when the team is tested by challenging problems. Every group has smaller groups within it. Although you may have been selected as the leader, you are probably not a member of all of those groups. Including members from each subgroup in your team can allow you to diffuse potential areas of disagreement at the beginning of your term when you have more time to sort them out. Involving people from the various cliques will also let them know that you are not ‘against’ them and will allow you to work with them to craft goals they can support. Success tip number two: include people from all the major subgroups in your leadership team to create buy-in to your leadership.
Many people also tend to choose leadership team members who are good friends. This again makes things go more smoothly at the start of your term. However, friends have a tendency to expect leeway from each other, complicating your friendship when a disagreement arises over how something should be done. When I decided to become president of my local Jaycee chapter, I chose someone who I considered to be a good friend to be on my team. One of my goals was to get the organization more involved with other organizations, which required extra paperwork. My friend was opposed to this and they balked. I wound up spending a lot of extra time arguing and working with my friend to get him to do this paperwork, something he still resents more than a decade later. Success tip number three: putting a friend on your leadership team is usually a bad idea if you want to remain friends; it’s better to have that friend as a non-team adviser than a team member.
A similar trap that leaders fall into is searching for team members who have similar skills and abilities. This is natural; we are comfortable with people who think, act and react the way we do. Like attracts like. However, when it comes to creating an effective leadership team, this tendency may actually work against you. Different types of people have different tools available to them. Some people are good at strategy, others at technical and detail work, others at dealing with problems and emotional issues and still others at motivating and involving people. Rarely are all these facets equally strong in one person. This is why it’s better to diversify your team and choose people who complement your skills rather than those who match them. This will save you a lot of grief when a issue arises in an area where you are not especially qualified. Success tip number four: seek team members who can supplement your weaknesses rather than increase your strengths.
In fact, almost every team you are leading contains someone who will turn out to be what my dad calls your “right-hand man.” This is often a person who has skills that are totally opposite to yours. My dad is a jovial salesman and an excellent “on-your-feet” thinker. His right-hand man was a quiet, thoughtful man who was good at teasing solutions out of complex problems. When I was president of the Jaycees, my right-hand man turned out to be a fun-loving guy who sold cars for a living. He was the perfect foil for my strategic, planned approach. As my dad explained it to me, as you go along in any venture someone will emerge from your team who will be the Watson to your Sherlock – someone who has the skills you need to be the most effective. It may be someone who will surprise you a great deal. Success tip number five: by forming a team with people who have complimentary skills, you will increase your chances of finding your-right hand man.
Once you have your team assembled, your next challenge is to get them to work together. While it is a good idea to talk individually with your team members and explain your goals and team member choices, it’s an even better idea to hit the ground running. As I mentioned, you want your team to buy in to your leadership. A great way to do this is to incorporate their ideas into your plan. Sitting down with everyone and working towards positive ends using brainstorming sessions allows everyone to suggest ideas in a positive environment. Including their suggestions in your plan will help them to buy in to your vision. Success tip number six: Create buy-in and relationships within your team by getting them together for an initial brainstorming session. Be sure to use this valuable information by including their ideas in your plan.
Next, I’ll talk about how you can craft your plan and vision when assuming a leadership role.
Have a great month!
