Leading Teams

Leading Teams is crucial to the success of any organisation.

In this edition I share five powerful concepts related to “Leading Teams” which can dramatically enhance the way you lead your teams and will support you build a high performance culture if you practice and live by them.

–????????Leadership disciplines

–????????High performance routines

–????????High performance teams

–????????Coaching for Leaders

–????????Commercial Leadership

This follows on from the the previous edition of Breakthrough Leadership where I share four high impact concepts related to “Leading Self”. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/leading-self-mark-freer

Leading Teams

“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people”. Steve Jobs

I’ve always enjoyed being part of high performing teams. You are united by a common purpose and this gives you the power to achieve great things. You face inevitable set-backs but know your team mates have got your back no matter how tough it gets. You push each other out of your comfort zones and go beyond what you think are your limits. You grow and learn a tremendous amount which increases your confidence and resilience. You connect and energise each other. You share experiences. You celebrate together and have fun. You build friendships for life. You become a family.

1.????Leadership Disciplines:??????

"Recognise the importance of your mindset and build leadership disciplines that will increase your impact and wellbeing.”

Firstly I’d like to share with you 10 disciplines that have the potential to transform your leadership impact if you believe and practice them. Typically they will:

• ?? Improve your decision making by increasing your confidence and clarity in thinking.
• ?? Improve your productivity and efficiency by reducing stress and allowing you to be calmer.
• ?? Improve your wellbeing and motivation by through being authentic and trusting the process.

Of course this allows you to be far more effective at leading your teams and developing a sustainable high performance culture across your organisation.

These 10 disciplines are all interconnected.

You need to be (1) Aware?and to (2) Accept “what is” before you can make (3) Conscious Choices. You must then (4) Trust The Process you’ve chosen will get you where you want to go. You are then much more able to be (5) Authentic, (6) Fearless, and (7) Confident, which will lead you to the mastery practices of (8) Being Connected, (9) Present In The Moment, and (10) 100% Energetically Engaged and committed.

It is possible to explore each of these disciplines in detail using different tools and techniques that challenge leaders to really understand each of the disciplines and what it means to them. By doing this leaders raise there awareness of where they are, how the disciplines can transform their ability to lead their teams, and take action which moves them forward. Here is a summary of the 10 disciplines:

1. ??Awareness is the foundation for change - it gives you an accurate perception of a situation.
2. ??Acceptance allows you embrace where you are and then change or move forward.
3. ??Conscious choice is made in the moment – you are aware, stress free & see the options.
4. ??Trusting the process is about learning & mastery – you accept you are work in progress.
5. ??Authenticity allows you to express yourself in all that you do – your unique self shows up.
6. ??Fearlessness allows you to live and lead to your full potential – there is no fear to overcome.
7. ??Confidence is the feeling that you can do something well or succeed – you trust yourself.
8. ??Connection allows you to get into a flow state – passionate & synchronised with your team.
9. ??Presence in the moment frees you from distraction enabling ultimate performance.
10. ??100% energetically engaged means you are willing, able & motivated to reach your potential.

?? If you do want to find out more about each of these disciplines I have created 10 short videos ?(60 seconds each) to provide a bit more detail here:

Leadership Disciplines | Mysite (headsupandfreer.com)

2.????High Performance Routines ??????

“Create routines and habits that allow you and your teams to perform at their best more often.”

Another concept worth exploring as a leader relates to your performance and how your “potential” and the levels of “interference” play a significant role.

In simple terms, to perform at your best with optimal energy you need to:

1. Build your potential – for example learn new skills, try and fail and improve your conditioning and,
2. Minimise your distractions – for example avoid distractions, be focused and sleep well.

Performance = Potential – Interference.

In the second edition of Breakthrough Leadership last month I talked in more detail about Energy and Performance:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/energy-performance-mark-freer

?Living by the disciplines mentioned above will absolutely allow you to increase your potential and minimise distractions in your life.

?????? Systems and Routines for High Performance

There are number of routines and systems you can put in place to support you reach your full potential and minimise distractions so you perform at your best.

?????? Consider the following questions for you as a Leader and decide how well you actually use the 4 stages of a high performance routine, which are detailed in the graph below.

1. ?? How well do you “prepare”? This is when you ready yourself, build intention and prepare to focus.
2. ?? How well do you “perform"? This is when you concentrate your efforts and deliver.
3. ?? How well do you "warm-down"? This is when you reflect on what you've achieved & transition into recovery.
4. ?? How well do you "recover"? This when you pause to regain energy and perspective.

Whether you are performing or recovering here are some simple techniques which can help you perform at your best. The table below shows some of the different ways you can increase your energy and reduce interference. It refers to the 6 major influencers of your energy (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, social & environmental) and provides tips at each of the 4 stages of a high performance routine.

I often work on this framework with groups of leaders in a workshop environment. Leaders always find areas they want to improve, for example:

1. ??Preparing better by getting clarity of purpose, rehearsing and managing thinking traps.
2. ?? Performing better by staying focused, limiting distractions and trusting their support network.
3. ?? Transitioning better between work and family life so they are present with those that matter.
4. ?? Allowing time to properly Recover, avoiding burn-out and looking after their health.

?????? Which are these have the biggest impact on your performance?

The benefits of using high performance routines are significant. They transform how you engage with your team, improve decision making and productivity, improve wellbeing and work-life balance and ultimately create a high performance culture with high levels of motivation.

“We don’t rise to the level of our goals, but fall to the level of our systems and routines”. James Clear (Atomic Habits)

3.????High Performance Teams ???

“Everyone in the team is deeply committed to their personal growth and success of each other creating a high-performance environment and outcomes”.

Once you adopt more leadership disciplines and high performance routines that work for you, you can start to shape and build your own high performance team within your organisation.

In a world where change is the only constant we frequently need to get teams together to make the next change or transformation. We need our teams to be agile and flexible to grasp opportunities, whilst at the same time building a team that is performing and balanced.

One team building phrase I’ve heard mentioned a lot on many new projects throughout my career is: “Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing”.?

Effectively this is a simple way of describing the stages towards forming a highly effective team.

Typically when teams come together it’s important to recognise the stages of development they are likely to go through. These stages will of course vary depending on the unique circumstances, structure of existing teams and the intensity of the project, but are nevertheless a useful reference point to understand where your team are.

1.??????Working Group: ?? this is a group of individuals where there is no performance requirement to be a team and the sum of the individual contributions is the effectiveness of the group. Effectively a group of lone wolfs.

2.??????Pseudo Team: ???? likely to be called a team, but there is no common purpose or performance goals and the interactions of the group might actually distract and hinder individual performance.

3.??????Potential Team: ?????? there is a need for significant incremental performance, but the team is unclear how to work together and there is a lack of clear goals or purpose. This might be a transformation project team thrown together and expected to form and storm quickly.

4.??????Real Team: ???????? likely to be a relatively small team with complimentary skills, where they are all ?committed to common goals , purpose and working practices. They will hold themselves mutually accountable.

5.??????High Performance team: ?????????? Not only is this team committed to common goals and purpose, but they are deeply committed to personal growth and the success of each other. Trust is high and there is a resilience and determination which allows the team to overcome obstacles and regularly push themselves beyond their boundaries.

?????? When you next pull together a team for a project think about where the team is and decide what actions you can take to move it towards a high performing team.

In the previous edition of Breakthrough Leadership “Leading Self” I explained how understanding the thinking and behavioural preferences (Emergenetics) of yourself and those in your team can transform the effectiveness of the team dynamic. I also talked about the “Energy Leadership Index Assessment” which is a powerful tool for understanding how individuals “show up” both on a good day and when under stress. How you show up will inevitably impact team dynamics.

??? If this is something you’d like to consider for your team please reach out and message me.

4.????Coaching for Leaders ??????

“Understand the benefits of real coaching and how to use it effectively as a Commercial Leader to allow your team to grow.”

Coaching is something I’ve been passionate about and practiced throughout my professional career as well as in sport. The best coaches are able to support their team thrive and empower them to perform to their full potential. It sounds so simple but actually it is not.

Lots of leaders think they are great coaches. They think being assertive, making tough decisions and providing direction for the team are the most important factors. What they fail to do is really listen to their employees and ask those empowering questions that allow their teams to find the answers from within themselves. Instead they find themselves interrupting and stepping in with their own ideas and telling individuals what needs to be done. Not the most empowering or motivating approach to leadership.

In fact when I’ve run leadership training sessions recently on the topic of coaching and shared techniques and coaching demonstrations this has been the first thing they recognise in their own leadership style. They don’t listen enough, they find themselves telling their colleagues what to do and ask the wrong questions.

Contrast this with the leader who is still able to provide direction and make tough decisions, but who is also able to bring everyone along with them - they harness the full power and skills of their team.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” Albert Einstein.

?????? Techniques – Listening, Questioning and Feedback

As a professional coach I know how much effort and practice is required. You need to understand, explore and practice using the techniques to properly support individuals move forward. I can’t possibly share all these techniques and best practice here right now. What I can do is share a few very simple coaching techniques that might just help you be a better leader with your team and support them.

Firstly you should practice listening deeply to each of your team members and show real empathy. This involves showing a real interest in “Who” they are as individuals. For example:

• ?? What motivates and inspires them?
• ?? How do they want to develop and grow?
• ?? What might be holding them back right now?

The techniques of Acknowledgement, Validation and Normalisation can really enhance how you listen and make your team feel understood.

• ?? Acknowledge what they said – this shows them you are listening.
• ?? Validate their feelings – this demonstrates you understand them.
• ?? Normalise the situation – this supports them gain perspective.

Another simple technique many managers are taught to support their coaching is GROW. This is simple four-step model can help you structure a coaching session with members of your team. Whilst it won’t get to the bottom of complex and deep rooted blockers that individuals might need to address, it does allow you to empower the individual to create their own way forward.

• ?? Goal: agree the topic for discussion, a specific objective and set a long term goal if appropriate.
• ?? Reality: invite self-assessment of the situation, check assumptions, and give feedback.
• ?? Options: invite suggestions for ways forward, offer suggestions carefully and ensure choices are made.
• ?? Wrap Up: commit to action; identify potential obstacles and support; make specific plans.

??? Feedback

All high performance teams are able to give feedback effectively. This might be “in the moment” or immediately after an event where it builds confidence and motivation. Alternatively it might be a more structured - a planned session which is reflective and focuses on developing competencies and skills.

It’s not uncommon for some leaders or managers to find it difficult to give feedback, because they don’t have a structure or model to use. If this is the case why not try the simple BEEF model.

• ? Behaviour: describe what the person does or has done.
• ? Example: provide a specific example of the individual’s behaviour or specific instances.
• ? Effect: explain the effect it had on you or someone else or the outcome.
• ? Future: define what you want to happen from now on.

When you go through the process of giving feedback it’s important to be specific and do it as soon as possible. You also need to give people time to address the feedback and have clear performance standards in place. And finally remember to get the balance right – give positive feedback where it’s due when diving development feedback.

It’s also important to recognise the different reactions members of your team might have to the feedback they receive. There might be some initial shock, surprise, anger or anxiety. This might then provoke some reflection and feelings of relief, rejection or regret. Individuals may accept the feedback, ask for support and see it as positive growth for them

Don’t forget to ask for feedback yourself as a leader from your team. Your perception of how you lead your team might be completely different. When receiving feedback remember to listen with an open mind and don’t interrupt. Don’t be defensive and seek clarification if required. Decide what you want to do with the feedback and show your appreciation.

?????? If you are looking for an even simpler feedback technique why not try this. You can use it after any activity or meeting with your team. ?Simply ask them (i) What worked well? (WWW) and (ii) What would be Even better if? (EBI).

?????? Thinking Traps

The coaching techniques I’ve mentioned before are simple and relatively easy to use. However, if you want to address more deep rooted blockers or barriers to progress that your team are experiencing you might want to consider bringing in a qualified professional coach. They are trained to raise awareness of the blockers and allow individuals to find their own path forward. This takes practice, experience and specific coaching tools and techniques.

The most typical blockers that hold people back and my require a professional coach to overcome are:

• ?? Gremlins: The voice (chimp) in your head that tells you that you can’t do something. It puts doubts in your mind. It exaggerates your fears and anxieties and might event appear to be protecting you from failure.
• ?? Assumptions: We make assumptions based on previous experiences and this can limit our ability to move forward. If we failed before we might assume we’ll fail again.
• ?? Interpretations: Everyone sees the world through their own lens and this impacts how we interpret situations. Our interpretation of a situation may not always be right and can hold us back.
• ?? Limiting Beliefs: We all have belief systems. It’s not uncommon for our beliefs to limit what we think and achieve. Challenging your beliefs and finding one that serve you better can be crucial to moving forward.

?? If you do need professional coaching support for your leadership team please feel get in contact with me. It’s important find the right coaching partner - I’m always happy to provide a complimentary coaching session for potential clients to establish if we are right fit for each other.

?

5.????Commercial Leadership ?? ?? ??

“Explore fundamental commercial drivers of your business to lead your team or organisation into the future.”

Finally I wanted to share some simple tips on commercial skills that all leaders should have in their toolbox and encourage their teams to develop. There is nothing revolutionary about any of these skills but how well you understand the fundamentals can mean the difference between your business growing successfully or going under.

The following three traits show up in abundance in successful leaders and their teams.

? Responsible Leadership: This is where leaders take full responsibility for their own actions and the outcomes of any particular situation. They don’t blame external factors that are out of their control. They believe their performance is under their control. Those individuals with lower levels of responsibility tend to believe that external factors determine their success rather than their own efforts. Typically they are therefore less likely to work hard to overcome obstacles.

? Resilient Leadership: These leaders are able to overcome rejection, setbacks and failures because they know this is part of their growth journey towards success. They expect to experience challenges, are able to focus on what can be learnt, maintain belief and focus?to keep plans on track.

? Rigorous Leadership: This is where leaders push their skills and effort to the limit. They are always looking for marginal gains which, when aggregated together, can culminate in dramatic performance gain.

There are many examples in sport of leaders going the extra mile to find that advance which spurs the team onto success. Think of the England Rugby World Cup winning team of 2003. Clive Woodward focused on a many marginal gains. He introduced specific teamship rules that the group lived by. He got the players to train not just their bodies but their eyes bringing in a specialist coach to support the team. He introduced video technology and data to review matches, individual performance and devise more effective game plays against opposition. The successful Sky cycling team that won many Tour de France yellow jerseys was relentless at exploring every margin gain that would get the bikes and riders to go faster for longer.

“One of the best predictors of ultimate success isn't natural talent or even industry expertise, but how you explain your failures and rejections.” Dan Pink

?????? Commercial Awareness

Having a commercial mindset is important to most leadership roles, particularly in commercially competitive environments. As leaders we should encourage our teams to take ownership of their commercial skills and show and interest in the fundamentals. It’s good for business.

• ?? Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – do you know the key financial metrics your organisation measures it success by? What revenue and profit measures do you use? What sales growth is required? How much resource and funding do you have?
• ?? Budget – do you have visibility of what you spend and the budgets your organisation has put in place? Who have you delegated authority to manage specific areas of budget responsibility. How is your budget spent? What appropriate processes and procedures are in place to provide control and agility?
• ?? Opportunity Management – how do you assess new opportunities for your business, whether that’s a new product, a new category, or a new market? As leaders we should give time to understand new opportunities and find ways to assess their potential impact.
• ?? Risk Management – are you able to identify risks to your business, evaluate their potential consequences and determine the best course of action to take? Risk aware organisations are better placed to avoid threats and take advantage of opportunities.

?????? Consider what you could do in your organisation to upskill your teams to increase their commercial awareness. This might include being more transparent about the KPIs, delegating more budget responsibility, introducing forums to evaluate new ideas or simply putting a risk register in place.

?????? Sales & Partnerships

Finally I wanted to share some leadership insights related to high performance teams in sales and partnerships.

?? Sales

Every business needs a sales function to grow their pipeline of opportunities, find new customers and strengthen relationships with existing customers. Sales is the front end of every organisation – it’s where you engage with your clients and create a memorable experience. 1 in 8 jobs in the US market are sales. I always remember one of my sales director in the past saying “A sales role creates 8 other roles downstream in an organisation”.

Sales Leadership is challenging. You need to develop your teams so they have the confidence, skills and resilience to continually reach out into the market, find customers, build relationships and sell to customers who believe in the value of your services because they meet their specific needs at the right time.

?????? What are some of the challenges your sales teams will face and what characteristics do they need to succeed?

• ?? "It takes 8 cold call attempts to reach a prospect". Persistence and Determination are required to keep going and not give up.
• ?? "80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls." Getting your foot in the door does not mean you’ve made the sale – do everything you can to Stay Engaged with your prospect.
• ?? "Organisations with 100-500 employees have on average 7 people involved in most buying decisions." You will need to Build Multiple Relationships with different decision-makers.
• ?? "78% of sales people using Social Media outsell their peers". Activating and motivating your sales team to Start Leveraging Social Networks in the sales function will boost performance.
• ?? "Email is almost 40 times better at acquiring new customers than Facebook and Twitter". This is a good reminder that Crafting Impactful Emails with effective content and calls to action is important.
• ?? "Sales people who actively seek out and exploit referrals earn 4 to 5 times more than those who don’t." Referral Based Selling is one of the most successful ways to grow business. These opportunities are the warmest sales leads you can get.
• ?? "Only 13% of customers believe a sales person can understand their needs". Good sales people understand everything starts and stops with the buyer. If you can’t Uncover Your Customer’s Problems and Needs you don’t stand a chance of selling your solutions.
• ?? "Continuous training gives 50% higher net sales per employee". The impact of sales training is hard to measure, however the truth is that Investing In Your People has a positive impact on your organisation. Effective onboarding and skills training for new sales reps accelerates the time it takes for them to be productive.

?? If you are looking for fresh ideas to develop your sales leadership and sales teams please reach out. I work with sales teams to enhance their commercial awareness, sales skills and improve how they ‘show up’ and ultimately enhance their effectiveness when engaging with clients.

??Partnerships

Every organisation also needs to build partnerships at some point during their lifetime. It’s impossible to do everything on your own and partnering is a strong form of collaboration which should create increased value from the combination of both partners capabilities.

I fondly remember some of the strategic partnerships I was involved in creating and leading in Europe over the years. In particular those that involved different cultures. At the centre of any great partnership is the belief of the people involved that there is real value in working together and desire to make it work, despite the difficulties that will inevitably arise. The leaders involved in the partnership and the relationships between these key stakeholders is fundamental. This provides a platform from which to build the joint business opportunities and mobilise the teams required to succeed together.

Here are a few pointers on how leaders can effectively improve partnerships and collaborations with other companies:

• ?? Set clear goals and expectations: find mutually beneficial opportunities for growth.
• ??Prioritise open communication: regularly check in , share feedback and clarify expectations.
• ???Foster understanding & trust: exchange knowledge, be transparent and respect perspectives.
• ???Leverage complementary strengths: identify and leverage these abilities for mutual benefit.
• ????Build the right team: find leaders, sponsors and advocates that will bring others with them.
• ???Strategic alliances: a powerful way to grow business and employees skills and connections.
• ????Engage in thought leadership: cultivate and engage in what matters to your industry.

?????? Which of these did you put in place when you last build a key commercial partnership? What were the biggest challenges you faced and how did you overcome these?

In the next edition of Breakthrough Moments I will explore four concepts related to Leading Organizations: Culture, Leading Change, Inclusive Leadership and Strategic Thinking

?????? If you have any points or topics you'd like covered or discussed in the upcoming editions, please let us know. Your insights and experiences are valuable.

?????? If you found any of the topics on Leading Teams useful, please share this newsletter with your contacts. Thank you.

For more information on:

Disciplines: Leadership Disciplines | Mysite (headsupandfreer.com)

Energy Leadership: Energy Leadership | Mysite (headsupandfreer.com)

Breakthrough Moments Podcast: Podcast | Mysite (headsupandfreer.com)

If you want to be a guest on my Podcast or learn more about my leadership development programmes and coaching please email me [email protected]

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #highperformanceteams #coaching #commercialskills #sales #partnerships