Leaders often can’t help but step up and become the point person on the latest initiative. They bravely plow through the big challenge and thrive on personal career success. But hold the phone! Significant research has shown that groups make better decisions than individuals, that there is wisdom in crowds. So instead of taking the reigns, use your energy to form useful and well-run teams, and you’ll find that strides are made more quickly and efficiently than you could do it on your own. Your role as a leader includes 3 main tasks.

1. Challenge the status quo. Make it your priority to consistently expose your team to disruptive ideas. Give them new people and perspectives as often as possible. This will keep them thinking of the bigger picture and not accepting the status quo solutions that other teams have been coming up with for years.

2. Questions are king. Don’t over simply. Keep asking questions! This will ensure that your team is able to address complex, challenging tasks.

3. Build relationships and trust. As Patrick Lencioni, New York Times best-selling author has shown us, one of the core behaviors of a successful teams is a relationship based on trust. This means you have fostered a relationship that allows people to speak up, instigate conflict, and openly solve problems together, without fear of reprisal.

Short List for Developing Trust
While not many of us will come across the same conflicts that member so the US Armed Forces handle, the army has a powerful process for developing trust.  Ask these questions, compliments of Harvard Business Review, to facilitate trust building in your organization:

• Do I place trust in my employees as a prerequisite to earning theirs?
• What are my organization/profession’s shared values and culture?
• Have these values been articulated within the organization to the point they are internalized and go without saying?
• How much do I know about my employees and their families and how well do they know me?
• What experiences can I offer to increase cooperation and familiarity in ways that are appropriate and rewarding?
• And last but certainly not least, does my personal competence inspire trust in my subordinates?

Now it’s time to put thes concepts to work.

JOIN US IN YOUR CITY THIS SUMMMER FOR A COMPLIMENTARY SEMINAR!

You may have already learned that Patrick Lencioni’s words of wisdom from his New York Times Best-Selling book, The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team have recently been made into a watershed program for building cohesive teams. If you aren’t familiar with Patrick Lencioni, here is a quick video:

The main concepts of The 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team have already gone to work for many organizations. As a mission-driven company, the EDSI team is very excited about the ideas and skills that this program provides.

As a matter of fact, we’re so excited about it that we’re traveling to 11 cities this summer, and providing a complimentary 1/2 day seminar to our colleagues and clients. EDSI is covering the cost, so attendees are able to concentrate on the takeaways. (We’re also serving a complimentary continental breakfast and lunch.)

Finding ways to build confidence in people who only have to look as far as the daily news to find numerous reasons why not to trust may be challenging, but ultimately well worth the effort.

Employee Development Systems (EDSI) is a mission-driven company. We know that we can increase engagement, impact, and productivity with our hallmark programs. We invite you to learn more about our programs and connect with us.