Leadership Essential: Building an Unstoppable Team
It is the eleventh-hour and time is running out on a project/proposal
deadline. The project, in the works for several weeks, has been plagued by
setbacks. With a few days left to hammer away, your team is worn down. They
have prematurely surrendered to the notion that making the deadline is
impossible, and what energy they do have is going into figuring out how to
skate past the established by-when, without burying themselves, and
participating in a bit of "buck passing". Hum. Does this sound
familiar to anyone?
In all likelihood, each of us has been here at some point
before. So what is there to learn from these experiences, and how can you avoid
having a totally plugged up and stopped team in the future?
Commitment: The #1
key to having a totally awesome and unstoppable team is to have a committed
team; a team that is determined to reach your established goals and objectives
no matter what; a team committed to the goal even in the face of not knowing
for sure how to get there!
Communication: Even
with every one of the other unstoppable team attributes covered, without
communication, the team will eventually breakdown. Fact is, we are all human;
your team is human, and we all face human-type stuff. Being unstoppable
generally means you and your team members agree and are committed to stepping
out of your boxes and being vulnerable, which brings up one of the biggest
"human-type" things we face... Fear! No one can read our minds and
without you and your team communicating-your fears, your upsets, your
enthusiasm, your expectations, and your boundaries-your team will ultimately
fall short.
Delegation: Nothing
will dampen the spirit of a team faster than a team leader who is unwilling to
fully delegate to and utilize the talents of his or her fellow team members.
Leaders who operate in this fashion are very thoughtfully referred to as
Control Monsters. Now don't be offended if you see yourself here at all. Truth
is, many of us have played this part at some point in our lives, and many more
of us are card-carrying members of the club. The key to overcoming the club's clutches
is to acknowledge your tendency, clean up where it has cost others, forgive
yourself, stay present to your tendency, and when you need help... ASK FOR IT!
If there is something you want and you don't have it... ASK FOR IT! People
cannot read your mind
Authority: Now once
the delegation issue is covered, you have to be careful not to trample the
authority you give your team to carry-out the delegation. For example:
Jane is heading up Phase B of Leader Bill's project, and Bill
finds himself disagreeing with her approach to a particular aspect of Phase B,
but Bill discovers this after discussing it, not with Jane but, with Jack. Now,
where Bill goes wrong is that he overrides Jane's directive to Jack and has him
go about the issue in HIS way.
Wow! There are few things worse than undermining a team member
to another. In this situation, Bill should have gone back to Jane and discussed
this issue directly with her, and if he still disagreed, provide her with his
input and together work out the best solution. Does this sound time-consuming?
Possibly, but consider what would be learned by your team and could be applied
in the future. In addition, there is no doubt, the time consumed by upset and
consternation far outweighs the time it takes to have a conversation with your
team members.
Accountability: With delegation and authority comes
accountability. A team member that wants the power and prestige of a certain
position has to be willing and fully understand that accountability is part of
the package. If they don't get it, then no deal! The lack of accountability is
the greatest pitfall of most teams and their leadership. People don't want to
be held accountable, nor do they want to hold others accountable, and then they
wonder why their team fails to measure up and obtain their goals. If you want a
solid team that is steadfast and focused, everyone must own that they are
accountable for what they say they are going to do, by-when they are going to
do it, and the results they obtain.
Passion: Passion
runs deeper than excitement. It is something that grabs you deep down inside
and makes you wholeheartedly say, "Yes. I definitely want to be a part of
this!" That is passion, and at its core, passion does not wane. Now, that
is not to say that passion does not burn low from time to time, but this is
where the human-type stuff shows up and can bring you down, if you let it. So,
how do you keep passion burning on high? With vision, communication,
commitment, doing what you love and asking for what you want.
And just one more thing... having F-U-N is not against the law!
A well-known executive business coach, Clay Nelson is no
ordinary, fly-by night, new-to-the-game coach! Clay Nelson has been coaching
executives for over 30 years. Coaching from the core fact that growing people
is the key to growing any business, Clay has helped countless business
executives and their teams come together to not just improve their businesses,
but to improve their lives. Clay's personal life experience, years of coaching,
and his natural abilities to motivate, teach, and develop leaders is what makes
him stand apart as a leader in the field... committed to making a difference
wherever a difference needs to be made.
Clay Nelson is also a well-regarded motivational and educational
speaker, providing outstanding programs customized to the audiences he is
speaking with. Able to speak on any number of topics within his noted
specialties, Clay Nelson is known for moving audiences from the status quo to
action as they create the businesses and lives they say they want to have.
