The three key ingredients of great teams

I was recently asked for my thoughts about the attributes of strong, high-performing teams. It’s a question on which I’ve spent a lot of time throughout my career, and it’s an important one for any leader to consider.

This time, however, the person posing it was none other than our company’s CEO. We also happened to be speaking in front of about 100 of Manulife’s most senior leaders at an offsite session in Toronto. Needless to say, I really wanted to nail my reply!

After pausing for a moment, I said I believe there are three key traits that set great teams apart from good ones. They are reflected in the way that a team’s members see the future, the degree of energy and excitement with which they approach a project or task, and how persistent they are in the face of adversity.

1. A bold vision and ambition not limited by the past

Inspiring leaders, and the teams they lead, can imagine a future vastly different from the present. They don’t stick with what’s comfortable, and they aren’t happy with simply delivering incremental growth – rather, they seek major change. They embrace the unknown in pursuit of something truly great, and tend to take a long-term view of their work. They question the core assumptions on which the status quo is built, and aren’t afraid to imagine a world where those assumptions simply don’t exist. These teams are able to think big and set ambitious goals as a regular way of doing business, which greatly benefits their organizations.

2. Passion

Energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Just as a negative person can suck the air out of a room and leave everyone else drained, passionate team members inspire others to act, and feed off each other as well. To me, passion has always come from thinking about goals, outcomes and a purpose greater than myself. For example, when I look at my role at Manulife, I think about the massive opportunity we have to make a difference for more than 22 million customers, 35,000 employees and 70,000 agents around the world, as well as our shareholders. It’s hard not to get excited!

3. Tenacity

No matter how bold your vision is, and how passionate you are about the work you’re doing, it’s inevitable you will encounter challenges on the way to success. Whether it’s red tape, “we’ve always done it this way” thinking or a lack of resources or time, there will be road blocks. Strong teams succeed by refusing to give up, and steadfastly push through for change. This sort of tenacity also builds trust and brings people closer together, as team members count on each other in overcoming internal and external headwinds alike.

That was the gist of my answer. I closed by noting that it’s critical that all teams value the “how” of success just as much as the “what,” recognizing that a strong commitment to ethics and acting with integrity must underpin all results.

What do you think? What’s the #mostimportant characteristic of a great team in your view? Let me know in the comments below!

-Roy