You might have the required people and competencies in your leadership team. You might recently have added new individuals to this team. Or you might just have brought a new leadership team together. Yet, you may feel that your leadership team does not yet leverage its full potential.
Team dynamics define whether your leadership team operates at full potential. The combined functional capabilities of leaders are mostly not the reason for high performance in a leadership team. Personal interactions and leadership behaviour are the catalysts to creativity and business performance. The more diverse the personal styles, the more creative potential, but also the more attention should be given to interpersonal dimensions.
Trust within your team is the starting point. Your team’s ability to debate openly and constructively adds the next level. Strong consensus orientation can feel like that goal, but it limits team performance. Passion in discussions is allowed and even desired. Great teams see huge benefits in surfacing and solving conflicts of any kind. Focus on the emotional dimensions are the basis to drive measurable performance of a leadership team.
How do we support you on developing a high-performing leadership team?
Our approach will be defined by the individual situation of your leadership team. We might recommend an intervention like a workshop with your team. Or we might join your key meetings to coach your leadership team life in its daily operations.
Joining operational meetings might be our suggested approach. If so, we will observe your leadership team in its work and share our observations in real time. We will make you reflect on what is happening within your leadership team, and between its members. You will be encouraged to dig deeper into challenges you face as a team. We will support you on using the emotional dimension as catalyst for high performance.
An interventional approach starts by focusing on all members of your leadership team individually. Their personal styles, values and individual motivations are the desired insights. What are their views on the team? Is your leadership team in fact a team? How do they perceive the trust level within the team? How well do you communicate with each other? How good are you in situations of conflict?
Team assessment tools and personality tests can provide additional pointers. We can leverage the tools your company knows and regularly uses. Or we will add own suggestions and proven methodologies. Our own experience as former senior leaders will complement the picture.
We will discuss with you the results of our analysis. How do you read the combined picture? Your individual styles might impact the dynamics in your leadership team. What are these styles and how well do you know each other? How do people feel in this team? There may be hidden undercurrents and tensions that negatively impact team performance. What are the root causes, and how could you address them?
As Team Coaches we will act as the catalyst that allows the dynamics in your team to evolve—regardless of the chosen approach. The change itself will happen through you and between you.