Why do we fokus on individuel leaders and not the leadership team?

This month's edition of BIASED BRAIN explores the significance of leadership teams.?While individual leaders often receive most of the attention in discussions about leadership, it's crucial to recognise that effective leadership is not solely about individual capabilities. Leadership is also about how a team of leaders collaborates and functions collectively.

1. How to focus on the leadership team

While individual leaders play crucial roles, recognising the importance of the leadership team ensures a more comprehensive approach to leadership development and organisational success.?

The synergy created by a high-functioning leadership team have a profound impact on the overall effectiveness and sustainability of the organisation.? Here are 4 questions to help you lead as a team:

1. Do you have a clear commission? Why is this a team? What must you deliver? Are you in agreement on what you must deliver? If you are a c-level leadership team, this typically means that the board delivers your commission. This is your WHY.
2. Have you clarified your purpose, goals, objectives and roles? Are you aligned on the strategic narrative? Have you discussed roles and responsibilities? Are they clear to everyone? This is your WHAT.
3. Are you continuously working on your co-creating skills? This is about how well you work together as a team. This is how you live the mission, how you make it come alive on a daily basis. This is trust, culture, interpersonel dynamics. This is difficult and time-consuming and extremely important. This is your HOW.
4. Are you continuously working on connecting and engaging with your stakeholders? This is about who you connect and communicate with and how you do it. It is about having a live map of critical stakeholders (yes, your employees are critical stakeholders) and align how and when you engagement with them. This is your WHO.

This is an?extremely condensed version of Peter Hawkins'?Leadership Team Coaching, an excellent book on developing collective transformational leadership. It's a long read, but well worth your time.

“WHAT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE HIVE DOES NOT BENEFIT THE BEE EITHER.” Marcus Aurelius

2. What makes a successful leadership team?

Criticaleye the peer-to-peer Board Community, asked leaders within their Community about what a great executive team looks like and their experiences. See video here.

Individual development is crucial for leaders to collaborate effectively and competently with their teams. However, when coaching leadership teams, our attention extends beyond individual challenges to encompass the interactions and dynamics that unfold between team members. Individual coaching helps leaders recognise their own behaviours and their impact on the team, contributing to the team's collective growth. Hence, we advocate a holistic approach, where teams address both individual and team-level aspects simultaneously.

3. The reflection cycle

At the core of all innovation is team learning. Learning together is way more powerful than learning individually. So prioritise?to carve out?time from day-to-day business to strategise, detach, reflect and re-group. Leadership teams that spend time doing this regularly tends to be more innovative, effective and have more impact in the organisation.

There are many different ways to do this and they do not all involve?several days?off-site. What is important is that you schedule time frequently to reflect upon your own practise as a team.?

This is a form of?action learning - we PLAN - we ACT - we REVIEW - we ADAPT. And then we repeat. Or we discuss what to KEEP (a process, a behaviour etc.), what to DEVELOP and what to TRASH. Two simple reflection models free of charge - you're welcome :-)

"We must approach our work with a systemic mindset, placing a strong emphasis on relationships and relational dynamics rather than focusing solely on the individual"

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3. This month's article from Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education

Every professional needs strong business relationships to be successful. These relationships include interactions and connections you build with colleagues, peers, and other stakeholders.

These connections are some of your most valuable assets in both the short and long term, so it is well worth nurturing and strengthening these relationships.

Read article here

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