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| A Diverse Team Can Drive Success |
An individual may create and lead the initial vision, but the team will provide distinct viewpoints that will be invaluable as time goes on, bringing to the project an appeal and insight that will give the project "legs".
This is why it is important to assemble a well-rounded team of individuals that all complement each other, yet retain their own distinct voices the process. I have lead many teams during my career and have had experiences ranging from the “rag-tag” team with no formal education but the tremendous heart and a hunger for learning, to the “all-star’ team with tremendous pedigree, whose incessant politicking ultimately spelled doom for the organization as it was envisioned. I have learned that team building is an art, and as such, it is not always perfect, rather it takes nurturing and tinkering to get it to the point where you have the right combination of knowledge, motivation, hands-on skills, and leadership. There is no room for ego, everything must be done for the benefit of the common goal.
When this is accomplished, it is beautiful and I liken it to riding a wave. Everything seems to flow naturally and effortlessly. Every member doing their part selflessly and co-authoring a grand sonata of achievements on their way to greatness.
In the late nineties, I led a team where this occurred. I would love to take credit for assembling the team, but it was handed to me fully formed, all I had to do was my part. Sure the team was financially successful, that was expected, but we also accomplished many great things that had never been dreamed of previously, and developed life long friendships with each other in the process. We had all come from similar but varied backgrounds, so there was a commonality that provided us with a base for communication and relating to one another. The variance provided us with different vantage points that were beneficial when solving difficult and complex problems. The resulting business processes and techniques are still being widely utilized today in that industry.
Sometimes you can “stack the deck” with well-qualified individuals with decades of experience and not get the anticipated results because the team didn't “buy-in” to the leaderships vision, or worse, actively sought to undermine it, feeling they were more qualified or otherwise superior to the current leadership. There is a great truth in the idiom “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch”. The negativity of one employee can bring a whole team to its’ knees, so they must be dealt with quickly and decisively, either through counseling or dismissal.
This is actually a more common scenario than you would think. It is also a very difficult situation from which to recover. There are often many ways to operate a company, and especially in the start-up phase, many of them could be highly profitable. In this situation, the leadership has an obligation to assess the merits of each scenario, including any resource allocation, strategy, and motivations, and make adjustments for the benefit of the company without the ego. Many high-level executives, and especially founders, can have difficulty with this. If there is a (business) need for a founder/CEO to step aside, there can be a sensation of loss akin to losing a loved one, especially if the start-up process was long or particularly difficult.
I have participated in nine of my own start ups and this situation has occurred in more than half of them when an unfamiliar team is assembled. It is very difficult to predict the path an unknown entity will take when under pressure to perform. Does this mean that you should forego the experienced team in favor of the “heart” of a younger, more malleable team? I believe the answer lies in a balance of experience and leadership with a malleable young team with “heart”. I see great value in “seeding” your team with people you know well. They in turn know what is expected of them and can help to relay and maintain the vision with the newer team members.
Once you have the right team in place, and a clear, fact based strategic path laid out, there are very few obstacles that can deter the team from achieving their goals. So tell me, do you have your “dream team” in place?
For more information or to engage my services, please go to www.JohnsonCapital.solutions
