Ask Coach: What's The Process Behind Developing A Leadership Team?
By Hardin Byars, executive coach with HTG Peer Groups
Q: How do I develop a true leadership team?
Coach: Well, that’s a topic that could consume an entire library of books! That said, let’s see if we can’t whittle the topic down to a manageable scope. Beginning with the end in mind … effective development always starts with defining success. Said differently, ask yourself if you have a clear sense for what a real leadership team looks like?
The word “team” is often used quite loosely when, in actuality, the reference is likely just to a group of individuals with something in common. An affinity group, however, is very different from a team.
So what is a leadership team, then? Broadly speaking, it’s a collection of individual leaders united by a common objective for which they are willing to make personal sacrifices. That latter point is key. Unless and until individuals are willing to place their personal interests secondary to the collective benefit, you don’t have a team … yet.
If you are curious as to where you are starting in developing a leadership team, try the following exercise. Ask the participants in your regular managerial meeting two questions:
- What is the primary objective of the meeting?
- Why are they personally in the meeting?
What answers are you looking for? The goal is an indication your leaders understand that achieving the company vision is the main goal, even at the expense of the departments they represent. Now … if the collective perspective is lacking, it’s usually due to a lack of clarity by the CEO in casting and reinforcing the vision. So, if you’re not seeing the desired result, look in the mirror first.
Finally, while there is much more to be explored on the topic of morphing a management group into a true team. In the interest of space, let me suggest that if you haven’t read Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, do so promptly — it will be the best investment of an afternoon that you can make in pursuit of developing a true team.
Hardin Byars is an executive coach with HTG Peer Groups where he is most energized by helping CEOs apply their God-given talent to achieve their potential and create business value. He also advises senior executives on strategic planning and organizational development to drive sustainable growth. Prior to his affiliation with HTG, Hardin was CEO of Intellinet, a nationally managed Microsoft partner focused on maximizing the business value of corporate IT investments. You can reach him at hbyars@htgpeergroups.com