Effective Leadership Teams

A few days ago, I completed the book "The Human Side of Enterprise" by Douglas McGregor.  The book was originally written in 1960, well before I was born, yet I have found this volume to store plenty of insights into organizational leadership.  I originally acquired the book to learn more about the Theory X and Theory Y styles of management that were touched on in my Masters studies in leadership.  I wanted to gain a better grasp on what these two theories were and how I might apply them in my own opportunities for leadership.  If you have not been exposed to these before, it is worth doing a search for Theory X and Theory Y or getting your hands on a copy of the book.

One of the other items that really caught my attention in this book was a section about effective teams.  In the last chapter of the book, McGregor spends some time talking about the Managerial Team - and notes a number of characteristics about the ones that seem to be effective.  What is even more interesting to me is that the next book that I picked up, entitled "The Advantage" by Patrick Lencioni, also talks about effective leadership teams, and how there are a number of similarities that these two authors have noted.  In this blog post I will spend some time talking about a few of the items that I noted from both volumes that I think are powerful and useful to leaders today.  There are quite a few of these items, so I may break them into multiple posts.

McGregor (2005), notes eleven items that embody effective groups.  The first is that, "The 'atmosphere,' which can be sensed in a few minutes of observation, tends to be informal, comfortable, relaxed. There are no obvious tensions. It is a working atmosphere in which people are involved and interested. There are no signs of boredom" (location 4601).  Lencioni (2012) notes this as "Trust", and more specifically, "vulnerability-based trust" as foundational for any leadership team (p. 26).

In my own consulting practice, I have been a part of a number of leadership team meetings where there is clearly no trust (as described above).  Some participants simply don't speak.  Others use the occasion to pontificate on a subject specific to their own interests.  Still others bring their favorite piece of technology, and although they are physically present, spend most of the time answering e-mail or some other activity.  In these types of meetings, it is usually found that the highest ranking member of the team (either a VP or CXX individual) allows this type of meeting to take place because it affords them no opposition.  There is little discussion and certainly no conflict (a subject that I will look at on it's own in a later post).  Everyone agrees with, what the leader wants (at least at the meeting) and, they may head back off to their office to either ignore the decisions that were made or begin to spend time figuring out how to oppose the decision.  Does this sound effective to you?  Have you been in meetings like this?  Have you been silent - or worse - have you brought your laptop and just answered e-mail?

Leadership teams need to function as a means by which to aggregate varying fields of expertise and insight to the point of supporting the larger objectives of the organization.  When members are silent, their area of expertise is not represented in the larger decision. When CXX leaders allow this to happen - they are not acting in the best interest of the organization (although they may be acting in the best interests of themselves and their own agenda).  

When I first started my Masters degree, we undertook a number of different kinds of personal "tests" to help each of the cohort members to understand themselves better.   This was an incredibly powerful experience for me personally.  One of the instruments was the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  Once I was aware of my "type", it helped me understand some of my actions and why I respond the way I do in specific situations.  I did not look at this new knowledge as a reason to "change" who I was, but more to understand why I react the way that I do.  This simple awareness seemed to empower me.  

What was even more interesting about this is that the cohort members began sharing their MBTI's with each other.  I surmise that this act of sharing precipitated a new level of trust as each member was exposing some vulnerability about who they were.  I can tell you that I have never experience such a high level of group trust before - certainly not in an organizational setting - as I did with that group of people.  Lencioni mentions this as a means to begin the process of creating the right level of trust within the leadership team.  He goes on further to say that, "At the heart of vulnerability lies the willingness of people to abandon their pride and their fear, to sacrifice their egos for the collective good of the team" (p. 27).

Effective leadership teams don't just happen.  They require concerted effort to create an atmosphere of trust and vulnerability.  Egos need to be left at the door and the group needs to clearly understand the importance of their membership on the team and it's ultimate goal of supporting the organization.  

What has been your experience with leadership teams?




McGregor, Douglas (2005-12-21). The Human Side of Enterprise, Annotated Edition.  McGraw-Hill. Kindle Edition.

Lencioni, Patrick M. (2012-03-14). The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business. John Wiley and Sons. Kindle Edition.