We is Better Than Me

Teams outperform individuals in virtually every situation. This fact has not escaped the attention of most leaders. What has been more elusive is the winning formula for creating great teams. The good news, there is a repeatable and predictable formula for building High Performance Teams.
My personal fascination with teams began as a child, my professional interest now spans almost three decades. Since attempting to capture some of the key learnings and observations from this journey in The Secret of Teams, I’ve also written numerous posts on this topic. What I’ve not addressed is how teams fit within the leadership ecosystem I described a few weeks ago.
[tweet_box design="default"]Leaders who wish to maximize their potential must learn to Lead Self, Lead Others, Lead Teams and Lead Organizations.[/tweet_box]
Let’s begin with a review what many of you know from your own experience – the advantages to building a High Performance Team are numerous...

Turbocharge performance – If you create a High Performance Team, you will be able to produce results that exceed your expectations.

Accelerate team member growth – When High Performance Teams are functioning well, they are a hotbed for learning new skills.

Leverage the talents of individual members – The fundamental reason teams work so well is the diversity of talents, gifts, passions, and experience.

Create leadership capacity – When a High Performance team is firing on all cylinders, one of the outcomes is less dependence on the physical presence of the leader.

I’m guessing any leader who has been part of a High Performance Team would validate these benefits, but why call out Leading Teams in a leadership ecosystem?
First, there are specific decisions, skills and disciplines necessary to create and sustain a High Performance Team. These elements do not spontaneously appear and yet are can be forged over time with a high degree of success. They are too important to be a subtext in a description of Leading Others.
Next, here’s how the four elements of the ecosystem fit together…
If a leader can’t lead self, he or she will always struggle with leading others; If you can’t lead others, you will always struggle with leading teams. And, if you can’t lead teams, the chances are good you’ll not have the personal or leadership capacity required to lead an organization.
Not too long ago, I talked to a leader who could testify to the idea of why teams matter to a growing organization. After hearing the potential of a High Performance Organization, he confided in me, “I’m in real trouble.” “Why?” I asked, “Because, I don’t have the capacity to build the type organization you described.” “Can your leadership team help?” I asked. “I don’t have leadership a team.” I had no response.
Every leader needs to know how to build High Performance Teams, if you need a list of reasons, see the ideas above. But perhaps more importantly, if you’re struggling to build a High Performance Organization, Leading Teams may be the step you’ve missed.
Enjoy the journey![GLS_Shield]
 

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