Building an Exceptional Team Anthony Butler, Assistant Director of Leadership Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement

What does a great team look like?

Where do you start to build a great team? How do you find great people? How do you recognize great people when you see them?

What inhibits execution? National survey of 4,000 senior executives 4.Inability to work together as a TEAM (21%) 3.Company culture (23%) 2.Economic climate (29%) 1.Holding on to the past / unwillingness to change (35%)

Creating a Culture of Teamwork The five values of a strong corporate culture: –Integrity: be a living example of your leadership values –Accountability: do what you say you will do- build trust through personal responsibility –Diligence: work hard, set a good pace, complete projects on or before deadlines How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

Creating a Culture of Teamwork The five values of a strong corporate culture: –Perseverance: overcome obstacles while maintaining a positive and enthusiastic attitude –Discipline: do all of these things, every single day How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons The following is from a joint study of 1,500 outstanding organization conducted by the Tom Peters Group, TPG/Learning Systems and the Executive Development Center at the Leavey School of Business and Administration.

The Seven Lessons 1. Leaders Don’t Wait They are proactive, they want to produce victories. Waiting for permission is not a characteristic of leaders. A sense of urgency combined with disciplined execution is. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons 2. Character Counts We call it the first law: if you don’t believe the messenger – you will not believe the message! People expect leaders to stand for something and to have the courage of their convictions. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons 3. Leaders have their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground Not only do we demand that leaders be credible; we also demand that they have a clear and compelling vision of the future. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons 4. Shared values make a difference Followers have needs and interests, dreams and beliefs of their own. Leaders must be able to gain consensus on a common cause and common set of principles. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons 5. You can’t do it alone Leadership is not a solo act. Winning strategies are always based on a “we,” not “I” philosophy. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons 6. The legacy you leave behind is the life you lead Leaders take every opportunity to show others by their own example that they are deeply committed to the aspirations that they espouse. Leading by example is how leaders make vision and values tangible. It is how they provide evidence that they are personally committed. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

The Seven Lessons 7. Leadership is everyone’s business. There is a myth that assumes that when you are on top you are automatically a leader. This is simply not true. Leadership is earned, not bestowed. It is not a title. It is a responsibility. How to Build, Lead and Sustain a High Performance Team, John Spence

It’s Your Ship: Building a team on USS Benfold Create a Climate of Trust: Never pit dog against dog Even the worst screwup may be redeemable Welcome the bad news messenger Protect your people from lunatic bosses

It’s Your Ship: Building a team on USS Benfold Create a Climate of Trust: “Trust is like a bank account. You’ve got to keep making deposits if you want it to grow. On occasion, things will go wrong and you will have to make a withdrawal. Meanwhile, it is sitting in the bank earning interest.”

It’s Your Ship: Building a team on USS Benfold Look for results, not salutes Help knock down the barriers Let your crew feel free to speak up Free your crew of top- downitis Nurture the freedom to fail Innovation knows no rank Challenge your crew beyond its reach

It’s Your Ship: Building a team on USS Benfold “As captain, I was charged with enforcing 225 years of accumulated Navy regulations, policies and procedures. But every last one of those rules was up for negotiation whenever my people came up with a better way of doing things.”

What breaks a team Bullies – one member speaks for all Lack of trust – inauthentic leadership Competing agendas – no buy-in, no consensus Lack of communication – everyone is talking at once…so no one’s listening

What builds up a team Encouragement – fostering new ideas…soliciting input Shared values, shared vision – working for toward a common goal Clear communication – using consistent methods for keeping everyone informed Ownership – everyone on the team feels connected and engaged

Questions?