A few months ago, I was approached by an industry leader who was venturing out on a new challenge very close to his heart. His ask of me was, would you be able to initially come onboard, drive the strategy of this project and oversee its operational aspects? For those who have found themselves in similar situations, after agreeing to take on such a task; the very next default question you ask yourself is – How would I handle the not so easy task of building a formidable team?
Looking back now, the team is in place. The idea he was trying to bring to fruition is in existence now and the project vehicle used to establish this entity is now considered sustainable. Through this experience and many others over the years; I put together my views on key lessons I consider helpful when trying to build a formidable team.
A popular proverb goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This saying rings true in the world of business where nothing significant happens without a team. Team building is a primary job description for any leader whose vision must grow fast and go far. But it’s perhaps the trickiest ground to navigate for one simple reason; it involves people. And people are not the simplest of creatures.
However, if you keep the right lessons in mind, you will not only attract the right people to your team, but also enable them to work together to achieve big goals. That being said, here are a few insights to bear in mind when embarking on the task of building a formidable team.
- Eyes on the Ball
All successful teams have one quality in common; Focus.
While this takes an intentional effort and discipline to pull through, it is possible. Team focus is the ability to collectively prioritise the big picture and play individual roles in making it happen.
This is not automatic. Focused teams where everyone knows the big picture and their individual roles, also has a leader who knows how to cast a clear vision and help everyone know their responsibility and rewards for making that happen.
In a media interview a few years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about how the team at Apple limit themselves to the vital few products, regardless of what their competition is doing. This sense of focus has made Apple one of the most innovative unicorns around.
- Life Beyond Work
Well-bonded teams are also buddies beyond work. I have seen this in sports, business and the military, especially among fighter pilots.
Teams who perform the best are a sincere part of each other’s lives outside work. This allows them to balance aspects such as family, faith, education, charity and fun. This serves as a reminder that they aren’t commodities or mere pawns in a bigger industry game.
Leaders who want to run high-performing teams must realise that it’s beyond work and smashing goals. While the company’s goal will always have its place, it’s equally important for teams to be connected as human beings, not cogs in a wheel.
- Accountability
I call this the thread that holds synergy together. No team does great things without accountability. Accountability breeds trust. Trust breeds a sense of security.
In his widely-viewed interview, Author of Start With Why, Simon Sinek, opines that team members who know that their company or teammates will look out for them in times of crisis are more likely to take risks and go the extra mile to deliver “A-class results” for the company or team.
More than anything else, people need to know that they are answerable for their actions. Beyond ensuring that every member keeps an eye on the prize, team leaders must also ensure that everyone is doing their part to make it happen.
This is a lesson I learned from Basketball; a sport wherein to win, every team member must be where they need to be most of the time. To engender accountability in your team, you must first be accountable to them. That’s because, your team members will mostly follow your actions than they do your words.
- Encourage Feedback
Building an effective team means you will have to intentionally sell the idea that open, constructive feedback is welcome. This is an attribute only taught and learned by example.
As a team leader, the more you give and show your receptiveness to constructive feedback, you are invariably creating a culture where team members can openly share and receive feedback from each other. This way, others will feel safe to open up and have richer and even tougher conversations. However, this is easier said than done.
As leaders, our egos can stand in the way. Some leaders have earned a reputation for being anti-feedback that no employee or member of their team dare offer it. The first rule for receiving feedback is simple; listen. Not to defend, deny or lash back but to listen.
From experience, I have realised that it takes a great deal of courage to offer feedback to superiors. Therefore, as a leader, when a team member opens up about something, appreciate their courage. If you attack them for speaking up, guess what? They will tell the others how much of an impermeable membrane you are and then nobody repeats the same mistake.
Remember, feedback is only a perception. If you’re unsure about it, think about it. Ask for more feedback from people whose opinions you regard. Listen to people who are similar to you and those who are poles apart from you, for balance.
- Give Due Credit
Nothing raises the morale of team members like genuine appreciation and recognition. In his bestselling book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie shares a profound tip, “be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”
One quality of exemplary team leaders is their promptness to give credit to whoever deserves it. They know that it’s not enough to be selfishly inspired. They want to win for their team’s sake as much as, or even more, than they want to win for themselves.
This explains why most sports champions credit their teammates and coaches instead of themselves in post-game interviews. Everyone knows they did the hard work. It’s evident. But through their words, you can sense genuine appreciation and gratitude to everyone who helped them succeed. When you make it a culture to recognise your team members for their contributions, you set the stage for a culture of gratitude and genuine care.
At the end of the day, the best teams only reflect the image of their leader. If you want to build a winning team, find out the components that make such teams and embody them. Embody focus, accountability, care outside work, encourage feedback and give due credit.
