A TEAM IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS LEADER
is the speed of the team” - Lee Iacocca
The concept of team is fundamental to business as well as to many other areas of life; however, the success of any team is directly linked to the person at the helm.
After all, how often do you see a coach being replaced because the team won the championship?
What does happen is team members, much like the game after which it is named, follow the leader. They imitate the person in charge. Therefore, to build a strong team, you need to start with a strong leader.
But what does this mean?
According to many, a strong leader is one whose values align with those of the team as well as the organization. This is commonly known as values-based leadership.
In fact, I remember reading about a study (though I don’t have the particulars) where the majority of the respondents were willing to take a salary cut to work with an organization where the values aligned with their own. Once again values are the driving force behind a successful organization.
It all relates back to the importance of integrating the company culture and values into the hiring process.
A friend of mine related a story to me some years ago about a cross-functional team he had the opportunity to become part of where the person placed in charge did not understand the concept of teamwork. He was relatively new to the organization and probably had not acclimated to the culture and values. Or perhaps he had been improperly screened in the interview process.
Either way, the team found it difficult to follow his lead because of his dictatorial methods. The team reached their goal but it was a difficult process.
That’s why I say successful teams are lead by strong leaders who understand the organization and align themselves with their company’s and team’s culture and values. And hiring the right people is the way to start.
Explore posts in the same categories: Leadership, Teamwork
