Have you ever wondered why your leadership team struggles so much? Why there is unexplained tension and unspoken expectations?
Leadership Teams are straddled with unique challenges that other teams don’t normally face. For example, most members of a Leadership Team often “own” a function of the organization (e.g., Marketing, Engineering, Sales), are rewarded based on the success of that function, and then asked to be part of a team of peers who battle for the same set of resources.
Instead of collaboration..competition often results.
On a healthy team, a variety of shifts occur in individual team members’ attitudes and behaviors as they embrace the concept of leading at a functional level and being part of a leadership team. For example:
| Individual/Functional Focus | Organizational Focus |
|---|---|
| Making decisions based on functional needs first. | Making decisions based on business needs first. |
| Competing for resources based on functional needs first. | Competing for resources based on business needs first. |
| Collaboration occurs mostly in functional area, creating silos across the organization. | Thinking shifts to a systems perspective where the leader has the agility to take other functional areas into account. |
| Operational and day-to-day orientation first. | Strategic orientation drives day-to-day priorities. |
| Time is spent mostly focused on urgent items. | A leader’s calendar has time blocked-off for strategic thinking and people development. |
| Leadership team meetings take the leader away from “real work.” | Leadership team meetings are valued and an important part of the leader’s role. |
| Individual ego and agenda first. | Relentless drive and passion for the organization first. |
These are just a few of the key shifts Leadership Teams need to make to elevate their effectiveness. How is your team doing? What shifts do individual team members need to make? What would be the impact if those shifts were successfully made?