5 Secrets of Great Leadership

Serendipity is when you find something amazing that you weren’t looking for.

And last year, Google discovered something incredible…

Entirely by accident.

They were trying to figure out what it took to put together a great team, and so they interviewed more than 200 teams across multiple areas of business.

It was a huge study and what they hoped to find was some definitive formula that would predict whether or not a team would be successful in their work.

They imagined that there would be a certain mix of personalities and skill-sets that, when combined, would describe the perfect team.

A bit like putting together a great football team.

But the experiment failed.

Because, as it turned out, exactly who is on a team matters far less than how the team is organised and managed.

It’s hard to overstate how important this is.

If you lead a team – for example, if you’re leading a team of salespeople – you’re inevitably going to have a group of differing abilities.

And when you don’t hit targets, it can be easy to blame your personnel and start thinking about replacing people.

But, it turns out, if you know how to lead your team effectively…

You can turn a low-performing team into one that soars.

Here are the five dynamics Google identified that allows a team to perform at the highest level.

1. Psychological Safety

A team with this quality feels empowered to take risks and try new things.?

A team without this quality will feel vulnerable, nervous about admitting mistakes and disinclined to try to grow in their abilities.

This quality was identified as the most important factor in a successful team, and a good team leader will find ways to instill this dynamic in their team.

2. Dependability

Dependable teams complete work on time and take their responsibilities seriously.

As a team leader, you can emphasise the importance of this simple skill and set a good example.

3. Structure and Clarity

A team with this quality is always clear on what is expected of them and what they’re aiming to achieve.

You can help your team with this by working on team communication and setting clear objectives and targets for each individual.

4. Meaning

High-performing teams believe in what they’re doing and feel like they have a sense of purpose.

This needs to be established on a personal level because each team member’s personal motivation will vary.

It could be a commitment to helping the team succeed, or as simple as finding financial security for their family.

5. Impact

Team members need to believe that what they’re doing makes a difference, even if it’s in small ways.

No one likes to feel like they’re just spinning their wheels.

For a team leader, this means it’s important to communicate to our team how what they’re doing is contributing to the forward movement of the business.

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This incredible study deserves your attention (there’s a link to more information below) because it redefines what it means to be a great leader.

And it also proves that Cialdini’s principles of influence can be effectively applied on all levels.

Think about this for a moment…

We typically use Cialdini’s methods when we’re engaged in selling activity.

But they can also be used in the way in which we manage our team and our business.

If we practise these principles to help our employees achieve their highest potential, we can influence them to grow beyond what they believe they’re capable of.

For example, you could use the principle of reciprocity by showing yourself willing to go that extra mile in encouraging and rewarding your team’s efforts, thus motivating them to respond in kind.

Tie this in, for instance, to Google’s principle of “Dependability” (see above) and you have the formula for significantly improving your team’s success.

This deserves some careful thought.

Use the link below to review Google’s study and then consider how this can be combined with Cialdini’s principles to develop your abilities as a leader.

Next time we’re going to look at the perils of common sense.

Until then…

Wishing you health, wealth and a joyful life,

Swadeck Taher

Further reading:?

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-emea/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/five-dynamics-effective-team/