Uncommon Strategies to Achieve Optimal Cohesiveness and Performance in Executive and Multi-level Leadership Teams

Finally, we present the uncommon solutions aimed at helping executives and multi-level leadership teams achieve optimal cohesiveness and sustainable high performance. Our passion lies in assisting executive and leadership teams in identifying and resolving the more systematic issues they commonly encounter. Over the past 20-plus years, we have facilitated numerous executive and leadership teams in examining the root causes behind suboptimal relationships and outcomes. Our approach involves guiding teams to gain a comprehensive understanding of systemic gaps and then developing solutions to achieve long-lasting, high performance.

In the aftermath of recent challenges, your organization has likely had to adapt to societal and cultural changes, rapid technological advancements, uncertain business conditions, and significant shifts in talent and workforce dynamics. However, now we are witnessing a renewed sense of energy and momentum to recoup lost margins, improve performance, increase revenue, attract talent, and boost profits, ultimately propelling your organization forward.

Currently, executive and multi-level leadership teams are grappling with six key systematic issues:

1. Identity Crisis?
2. Lack of Leadership Community Connection?
3. Barriers to Vision/Alignment?
4. Inconsistent Purpose and Priorities?
5. Lack of a Learning Culture?
6. Talent Management Issues?

1.) Identity Crisis?

First, no wonder we are having an identity crisis in so many organizations as it is challenging to fully recover from the chaos of COVID. The lack of stability to create a shared vision, mindset, and plan can feel like a virtual reality game with goggles that you can’t take off! Talk about an overdose of reality, as leaders we often focused on survival, protection, pivoting, talent shortages, and reaction to external factors, including the rapidly evolving technology landscape.??It was exhausting! And we emerged stronger and wiser.

Over the past year, we spent time cleaning up, rebuilding, and reconnecting with customers and have emerged different and changed by the experience.?Most organizations are in some phase of recalibrating and repositioning to the external market, with key constituents and internal teams to forge a new and different path ahead.

Three Strategies are suggested to connect leaders and teams to a new future identity:?

1. Invest the time to create a new Strategic Plan or Strategic Priorities to gain momentum for the path ahead.?Reviewing changes in the competitive landscape, market, and industry as well as assessing current internal organizational systems capacity will be vital to a successful plan.
2. Empathetically and compassionately address the struggles your team has faced over the last three years, and consciously shed the reactive mindsets, habits, and behaviors that may be plaguing your leaders and mitigating performance.?Think about the shared values that can move the team forward and articulate them.
3. Inspire the team to believe that the organization is stronger together, with one vision, and inspire leaders at each level to choose one vision, one team, together.?

It is time to take back the future and become an expert at creating your new reality!

2.) Lack of Leadership Community Connection?

Reflect on the last time you experienced a profound sense of community that brought you joy and enhanced your well-being. Personally, I had such an experience while watching Ted Lasso, where the words "Don't worry about a thing, because everything is going to be all right" resonated deeply. Additionally, I felt a strong sense of community during a recent OSU Football game on a sunny afternoon. It is essential to recognize that these moments of connection, which uplift and enhance our well-being, are not limited to leisure activities; they can also be found within the workplace.

The second systematic issue faced by executive teams and leaders is the lack of Leadership Community Connection among leaders and teams. This issue is particularly critical at a time when the ongoing discussion revolves around the return to work or adopting a hybrid model, as performance expectations rise. Leadership Community Connection refers to the relationship between leaders and their communities. It entails leaders understanding the needs and values of their community and taking proactive steps to serve and support a strong connection. This connection fosters trust, establishes a shared sense of purpose and values, and generates a positive impact on the broader community. It involves active listening, fostering connections, promoting collaboration, and being accountable to the community as a whole.

Some data to consider about our collective experience:

1. Mental health challenges are on the rise due to isolation and loneliness reported at an all-time high in 2023.?
2. Millennials report the highest rate of loneliness of any generation to date.??
3. Isolation and loneliness are caused by the lack of connection and break-down in communities, in neighborhoods, at church, as volunteers, and especially at work.
4. We are social beings and the connections that foster community due to societal changes are now occurring primarily at work.?
5. Also, the lack of connection leads to dissatisfaction, disengagement, and risk of leader turnover.

Three suggested strategies to build Leadership Community, include:?

1. Executive teams may devote social and development time to model a strong Leadership Community with each other.?If this team deeply listens, has empathy, seeks connection, has fun, and values a sense of belonging others will follow.
2. There is an opportunity to shift functional mindsets to create one enterprise system Leadership Community among all leaders to foster connection, belonging, and learning, with a focus on vision, mission, performance alignment, and results.??
3. To retain the best and brightest leadership talent, it's beneficial to create a strong sense of engagement among them, where they feel connected and committed as part of a Leadership Community. If individuals feel a deep sense of belonging, connection, and shared values, then, this team becomes a powerful motivator for leaders to stay with the organization.?

What are the moments of connection, joy, and a sense of belonging that will shape the stories of your community? When leaders prioritize pride and purpose in their work, they have the power to inspire these meaningful moments of connection and belonging, enabling individuals to contribute their best to the company and to one another. As a leader in your community, it is your responsibility to actively seek out and create opportunities for joy, fun, and fulfillment in the workplace!

And again, just for fun … “Don’t worry about a thing, because everything is going to be alright.?I say, don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is going to be all right.”

3.) Barriers to Vision/Alignment

I recently had the proud parent experience of watching my daughter graduate from college. During the graduation ceremony, the speakers highlighted the importance of grit and determination in reaching this significant milestone. They emphasized how the college journey often involves numerous detours, barriers, and changes in direction, making it a challenging yet transformative experience for most students. The best moment by far was the bittersweet fight song in a stadium of graduate’s arm in arm swaying and singing, with vision and dreams realized!

The lessons to be resourceful, adaptable, optimistic, and persevering were not lost on students and are so needed in our organizations, today as well.?

Just saw this morning that the high-tech sector laid off 180,000 jobs, with the exception of Apple. It seems that Apple's success can be attributed to having a clear vision and a steadfast commitment to the plan. In our current environment, there is a significant amount at risk, and the best defense is to adopt a proactive approach that involves staying updated on customer needs, anticipating future changes, and being agile enough to adapt and surpass expectations along the way.

The Three suggested strategies to overcome barriers to Vision and Alignment:

1.??????First, establish a customer-centered agile strategic plan, or at the very least, identify the top three strategic priorities that will guide daily decisions in both significant and minor matters. Involve the customers in this process to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and staying on the right track. (It is crucial to resist the urge to ignore or dismiss customer feedback, even when it is challenging, and instead, remain engaged and attentive to their input.)

2.??????Second, harness the customer voice throughout all functions, giving particular attention to both positive feedback and complaints. This ensures that all teams remain aligned with what truly matters to customers, minimizes the risk of pursuing irrelevant distractions, and reduces the noise that can easily derail organizations from their intended path. (It is akin to subscribing to a single streaming service curated by your customer(s) rather than signing up for every service that offers one popular show you've heard about.)

3.??????Third, it is crucial to reward and acknowledge behaviors that align with a customer-driven vision and represent the most essential work. People tend to repeat actions that are praised as the highest form of recognition. Consider conducting in-person and virtual town halls, interactive games, and enjoyable activities that demonstrate alignment with the most critical work. This not only emphasizes its importance but also underscores its role in creating value for customers and ensuring long-term sustainability. (It is akin to a ten-season series rather than a single episode, emphasizing the endurance and commitment required.) By consistently recognizing individuals over time, you can exemplify their perseverance and dedication in making a meaningful impact toward achieving the vision.

4. Inconsistent Purpose and Priorities?

Three Strategies to consider to maintain purpose and priorities:

1.??????Leverage available technology in performance and alignment systems that help facilitate regular reviews of annual goals and 90 Day organizational priorities to keep drivers of what is most important in front of the team.

2.??????Incorporate a semi-annual review and/or business development process where new ideas go through a rigorous business case review process to determine if there is a fit with strategy, goals and priorities.

3.??????Finally, hold meetings for ideation with key clients at least once a year as a way to inform purpose and priorities on a proactive versus reactive basis.

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Surround yourself with people on your team who have discipline and focus as strengths and listen to them even when it is hard in the short term.?Don’t conflate consistency with a lack of agility.?Consistency in the core business frees up the emotional energy for collaboration, creativity, and innovation on targeted new business initiatives.

5) The Lack of a Learning Culture

In the past decade, it has become increasingly crucial for leaders to embrace and develop their role as culture leaders. Previously, leaders mainly focused on reviewing employee satisfaction data and creating plans on an annual basis. While this approach may provide some assistance on the surface, it often fails to equip leaders with the necessary tools to address the deeper and more complex dynamics of leading organizational culture. It can be likened to applying a band-aid to an infected wound, where the underlying issues remain unaddressed.

We also know that high-performing cultures are the hallmark of high-performing organizations, and it is not intuitive for Executive and Leadership teams.?As you know, intentional learning and development to cultivate a stronger culture is essential to sustain high performance and retain the best talent over time.

So here are the four elements of high-performing cultures and how can we assist you to think about the strategies:

·????????Alignment – This is all about helping your people individually and in teams to have a direct line of sight to how they are making a difference.?Sometimes it is connecting them to strategy, other times to mission and goals, and still other times confirming focus and priorities on the right things to ensure timelines and deadlines are achieved.

·????????Collaboration - This is the leadership discipline to walk the talk, and model values by constantly reinforcing the importance of consistency to free up vital energy to foster collaboration among functions.?

·????????Empowerment – This one is crucial in our talent-driven world so that individuals feel engaged and encouraged to become empowered and to take ownership of the work.

·????????Innovation – The ability to harness adaptability with a customer and market-centered approach, as well as applying agile leadership concepts, is crucial. Creating rapid cycles of change is important, if it leads to profitable and sustainable outcomes.

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6) Talent Management Issues

I feel privileged to work alongside leaders on a daily basis as their talent coach, helping them overcome significant barriers to organizational performance and growth. Through this experience, I have come to realize that intentional talent development is a challenging endeavor that demands genuine courage. However, the rewards are significant and accrue over time.

Every leader who is willing to be vulnerable will openly admit that the toughest task by far is managing and developing talent at a pace that ensures the organization's readiness for the future. In the past, one of the top three indicators of CEO success was the ability to effectively assess leadership talent. Virtually every organization aspires to have a pipeline of internal leaders ready to take on key roles, yet they struggle more than ever before in achieving this goal. It requires strategic thinking, a long-term perspective, and tremendous discipline to proactively accelerate the development of future leaders.

However, several factors hinder progress in this area. The constant crises of the day often divert attention, there is a lack of clarity regarding long-term vision and talent strategy, formal mentoring and career development processes are often absent, there is minimal understanding of the unique pathways to develop women and individuals from diverse backgrounds, and a success framework that inspires high potentials is lacking.

The Five Strategies to address the most common talent development issues:

1.??????Create a compelling call to action by providing data on the comparative performance of internal and external hires for key positions, highlighting the percentage of women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds who have been promoted, as well as retention and promotion figures. Additionally, presents comprehensive workforce data. These statistics aim to inspire executives to allocate resources towards a clearly defined talent strategy.

2.??????If talent is the number one strategic advantage, Next, take into account the valuable contributions that external experts can bring to the development of the most effective talent strategy. For individuals, this may encompass diverse experiences, growth opportunities, accelerated development for high-potential leaders, and coaching to enhance readiness for promotion and create proactive retention strategies.

3.??????Make the mindset shift utilizing leadership competencies as the baseline, but focusing on desired mindsets, tool sets, and skill sets as the best enduring predictors of future success.

4.??????Recognize the importance of differentiating career development for women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, considering their growing representation in the workforce but insufficient progression to senior leadership roles. A crucial aspect of a comprehensive talent strategy is to address the distinct requirements of all leaders.

5.??????Embrace a comprehensive approach to career coaching and train executives in more comprehensive career coaching as well as hold them accountable for the development, progression, and retention of leaders.??

It is understandable that while you may have an intuitive understanding of these concepts, putting them into practice can be overwhelming, and it can be challenging to determine where to start. Embracing talent management is truly a game of risk and reward. Start by addressing the areas of highest risk and significant talent gaps, and then progress from there. Identify your areas of expertise and seek partnerships where additional support is needed. Remember, your success is intertwined with the success of your leaders.

Consider that your legacy may not solely be defined by your personal accomplishments, but also by the individuals you nurtured and invested your valuable time in. Ideally, it would be a combination of both, and I hope that is the case for you.

In an ideal world, we all aspire to be purpose-driven organizations with clear priorities. However, life often throws unexpected challenges our way. The opportunity lies with executive and leadership teams to tackle the six systemic issues collectively and lead with purpose, focus, discipline, and determination. Specifically, this means transforming volatility into vision and actionable plans, converting external and internal uncertainties into uncommon focus, gaining clarity amidst technological advancements, industry complexities, and market dynamics, and ultimately fostering organizational agility by addressing ambiguity. The scope of tasks that require effective leadership is vast, which is why developing leaders is our passion. Wishing you success in your endeavors!

Written by Diane Egbers, Founder and CEO of Leadership Excelleration, Inc. (LEI) and author of The Ascending Leader, engages with clients and guides a consulting team to provide all aspects of executive coaching, organizational consulting, and leadership programs. Diane understands her client’s needs by leveraging her experience by serving more than 250 organizations and her prior role as VP of Human Resources.?