When Leadership Teams are Neither

While they go by a variety of names, leadership teams (those charged with developing and executing organizational strategies) face some common challenges. Among them is a lack of understanding of how high performing teams can and should function.

Recently, in preparation for a quarterly strategy review with a rapidly growing client, I asked leadership team members to complete a brief questionnaire outlining some of the most pressing issues (problems, challenges, obstacles, etc.) facing the organization over the next 90 days. What I got in return, while useful, underscores a missing element in the team concept.

In each case, members offered up challenges faced by their department rather than the organization overall. In many cases, members cited other departments and/or policies and procedures promulgated by the CEO as the root cause of these departmental challenges. In other words, “We’re ok, it’s the rest of the organization that’s underperforming.”

It is understandable that team members come to the table with a focus on their department or area of the operation. This is necessary but not sufficient. What’s missing is the collective emphasis on the organization as a whole. This subtle but important distinction is often lost on team members who feel they are at the table to represent the unique interests of their portion of the enterprise. When shortcomings are viewed as the responsibility (fault?) of other parts of the organization, it can throw cold water over the entire “team” process.

In his best-selling book, "The Five Disfunctions of a Team," author Patrick Lencioni dials in on the key factors that impede team success: (1) Lack of Trust, (2) Fear of (or inability to resolve) Conflict, (3) Lack of (organizational/team) Commitment, (4) Avoidance of Accountability, and (5) Inattention to Results. The order of these five is not random. They are illustrated as a pyramid with Trust shown as the foundation upon which the rest are stacked. While each can be taken separately as an item for closer examination and understanding, they are interdependent in that one does not stand in isolation from the other.

How is your leadership team preforming? Or better yet, what could your organization accomplish if your team was fully trained, prepared and equipped to function at a world class level?

For more information on ways to improve the performance of your leadership team, contact me at joe@ajstrategy.com.