Not All Teams Are Created Equal
High-performing teams often have a unique interpersonal dynamic that incorporates accountability at all levels. Not only are team members held accountable for their results by the leader, but they are expected to hold one another accountable. Team members hold team members accountable. The leader is a member of the team. Members must hold the leader equally accountable for their actions and results. The right types of members have high personal levels of accountability for their work. They already feel worse than anyone can make them when their actions lapse and are not up in accordance with the goals and the values of the organization. Jim Collins wrote about getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off of the bus. The collective effort of the right people will ensure success but it might not be in the direction that the leader had envisioned. It is best to gather the right people and allow their collective synergy drives the bus where it wills. At any point if a member becomes counter-productive to the organizational goals and values and is un-salvageable, then it is incumbent upon the leader to determine if they are no longer the right person to be on the virtual bus.
Not all members on a team contribute equally. This could be related to their work or their contribution to reaffirming and upholding organizational goals and values. As leaders the burden starts with us. There is no substitute for role modeling. Successfully socializing team members across a virtual world does not happen by chance or through the sheer willpower of the leader. Leaders will inspire and change behavior in direct proportion to how they demonstrate the organizational goals and values.
A key insight - "They already feel worse than anyone can make them when their actions lapse and are not up in accordance with the goals and the values of the organization"
Head of Service Operations at Exponential-e
5 年Really well placed article Bryce. Accountability is such a hidden ideal and concept which, when embraced, leads to such a enabling and positive team culture and dynamic. Creating a safe team environment where each team member feel enabled to hold each other to account against exacting standards is challenging but surely has to be the target, ah! Rachael Pearce, great target here, which you are heading towards anyway
Executive | CXM & Sales Enablement | Strategic Leadership | Interaction Analytics | Diverse Global Teams | Learning Technology | AI | Fiscal Competence | Multi Modal Solutioning | Training | L&D | CE
5 年Great article Bryce. Herb, I cannot agree more regarding trust. Essential - as you need to trust your buddy has your back. It doesn't matter if it's on the team or in Corporate America, without trust there is no team. I'm sure each of us have learned great leadership skills but I also think that collaboration and strength based leadership are other core elements of a good team too.?
Security Cooperation and Medical Planner at Booz Allen Hamilton, Father, Husband, Veteran.
5 年Did these pants make look fat? I love the article. It reflects on the important aspects of leadership.
Storyteller - Author - Green Beret - Liberty Speaks Co-Founder - Cornell MBA
5 年Bryce?accountability and realizing members of the team will not contribute equally are two great points.? I'll add another to go along with these two.. Trust.? When we trust everyone on the team, it will show and then enable accountability in each other.? In my mind "trust" is the most important attribute for the leader and teram members to demonstrate.