The Connected Leadership for Collaborative Conversations

You don’t build a business. You build people and then the people build the business. -Unknown

Be interested

Connected leaders take a genuine interest in team. They try to know the employees as individuals, not just the roles they played on the job.

Listen

They listened to them and allowed them to take ownership of the organization by encouraging them to contribute not only in efforts but also ideas.

Leadership has everything to do with how you relate to others and the quality and texture of those relationships. The higher up you go in an organization, the less important your technical skills become and the more your interpersonal skills matter. -Scott Edinger, founder of the Edinger Consulting Group in Tampa, Florida

Everything in leadership involves developing strong and trusting relationships. The leader does this by building connections with the team and encouraging connections to grow between all team members.

Here are 8 ways to tell if you’re connecting with your team and if the idea is spreading among them.

1. Team members give extra effort.

Everyone wants their teams to go the extra mile, but it simply won’t happen if the team is disconnected.

But when it’s there, the team will perform well, even if they don’t care much about the project itself. What they care about is the success of those they are connected with. They are willing to go the extra mile for the people that they now care about.

Investing in the connections among team members both increases productivity and reduces risk. -Margaret Heffernan

2. Team members say positive things.

The shared connection builds positivity among team members. They feel good about each other and what they are building together.

3. Team members demonstrate trust.

The connection between team members makes them more willing to trust. They believe that everyone is truly in it together. They reach out to each other for help and depend on each other to do what is needed for the good of the team.

4. Team members feel free to express themselves.

Team members feel valued because peers and leaders take the time to get to know them. They hear out their thoughts and opinions and provide opportunities for the team's voices to be heard.

This makes them more likely to share and add value to the team with their insights and ideas.

5. Team members feel good about what they are doing.

The team sees the power in the team and what they are able to accomplish together. This sense of accomplishment helps them feel valuable and successful both individually and as a group.

6. Team members display an emotional connection.

Sometimes strong ties and lifelong relationships are born out of the connections made on teams. This can spring from the trust and respect built as people begin to cultivate relationships on the team. The value placed on the relationships is reflected in the efforts put forth in the work that is done.

7. Team members are emotionally charged by being together.

The joys of winning and losing together heighten the emotional ties of the group. It’s what you see when sports teams hype themselves up before a game and lift each other in the air when they win.

Charge strengthens the power of the connections and encourages the team's positive growth.

8. The team has a growing synergy. They make each other better.

Growth is what you ultimately want to see happen with your investment of connection. Connected teams move beyond achievement into the realm of continuous improvement. This leads to longevity of excellence as a practice instead of focusing on one time wins.

As time progresses, so does the team’s ability to perform. The bonds get stronger and they start to move in harmony intuitively. Think of birds flying together in a flock. Their ability to work in sync is practically effortless.

Being connected and excellence has become part of who they are.

Remember…

Human beings are made for connection. We have a natural desire to be together, work together, learn together, and grow together. Leaders who tap into and encourage this natural behavior can transform loosely organized and sometimes random groups of people into a united force of excellence.

It happens all the time and in many different areas. Military forces, sports teams, and social groups around the world benefit and thrive because of connection.

These eight…

1. Extra effort
2. Positivity
3. Trust
4. Freedom of expression
5. Feeling good
6. Emotional connection
7. Emotional charge
8. Synergy

…are signals that your team is progressing on its path to increased connection. When your team begins to exhibit these characteristics, your ability for excellence will experience tremendous growth.