Tag Archives: Team Leadership

Keeping “The Cold Within” Out of Your Team

There is a purpose behind every problem. Oftentimes a really ‘great’ problem will cause you and your team to grow and transform in ways unimaginable. Much like the video portrays, everyone has a “log” to place in the fire. Few teams have everyone contributing at their maximum potential. Sometimes team members feel their contribution somehow leaves them with less, not appreciating that the team (and company) only survives if EVERYONE commits.

Leaders that ‘build bridges’, recognize and address the frictions that lead to a “Cold Within” scenario. They do this in three Ways:

Recognize and Address Issues Directly: Patrick Lencioni (2002) relays in the                         ‘5 Dysfunctions of a Team’, clues a leader has an issue. They are:

  1. Absence of Trust
  2. Fear of Conflict
  3. Lack of Commitment
  4. Avoidance of Accountability
  5. Inattention to Results

Again, diagnosing the symptoms of a problem is only the first step. The leader must address the issue(s), understanding that they build upon one another. For example, if the team is not interested in results, the 5th characteristic, the other four signs likely factor into the issue and must be addressed.

Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking:  In “How Successful People Think”, John C. Maxwell (2009) relays a story about how Jack Welch once told a GE employee that the ongoing relationship with the customer took priority over the sale of any individual product. Managers must remind their teams of the big picture – projects come and go, competitors, consumers and markets change – but a solid team, built on good relationships, will thrive in all circumstances.

Have a Game Plan: Team dysfunction is not a question of “if”, but “when”. The “bridge builder” keeps her tools ready and has already considered their actions in addressing internal conflicts and challenges the team might encounter. They play out potential scenarios, they talk out potential courses with their colleagues, mentors and coaches, to be clear on their plan and intentions. They are ready. This keeps their team on time, on task and on target (Kimsey-House et. al., 2011).

References:

Kimsey-House, H., Kimsey-House, K., Sandahl, P. & Whitworth, L. (2011). Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business Transforming Lives. (3rd Ed.). Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership parable. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Maxwell, J. C. (2009). How Successful People Think: Change your thinking, change your life. New York: Center Street.

 

Why Are There So Many Dimensions of Leadership? And How Do I Make Leadship Work For Me?

Thinking Figure

There is Authentic Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Situational Leadership, Team Leadership, Servant Leadership – there are leadership traits and leadership skills and 70+ prominent leadership theories – and the list goes on and on. But how does a leader know which is the best leadership approach for them and which is most effective for the many leadership situations they will find themselves in?

Kuhn (2012) offers one popular explanation of why there are so many areas of focus, noting that during the developmental stages of Leadership Theory there was an absence of a paradigm and all assertions seemed plausible. The author also suggested that due to the absence of a widely accepted and practiced scientific method, many concepts were evaluated and tested inconsistently, making it even harder for researchers to confidently dismiss any relative line of thinking.

Winston and Patterson (2006) arrived at a similar finding related to the large number of leadership dimensions. In their study, they identified 90+ dimensions of leadership, yet noted there was not one dimension that was widely accepted by the leadership research, education and practitioner communities .

Which brings us to the question – how is a leader to know what to do, and if they are leading well and doing the right things?

To answer this, Northouse (2013) recommends that leaders start by grasping a working definition of what leadership is – suggesting that the 4 basic components of leadership are:

  • Leadership is a process
  • Leadership involves influence
  • Leadership can only occur in groups
  • Leadership involves common goals

Over the next week, we will explore these components in greater detail and outline a process for leaders to develop their own framework and working approach that is the best fit for them. This will place them in a better position to determine which leadership areas of focus hold the greatest benefits for them.

References:

Kuhn, T. (2012).The Structure of Scientific Revolutions: 50th Anniversary Edition. University Of Chicago Press.

Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage.

Winston, B., & Patterson, K. (2006). An integrative definition of leadership. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 1(2), pp. 6 – 66.