Is it Rah, Rah or Team, Team?
I was just reading the story of Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates successor as CEO of Microsoft, in Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why. Sinek was recounting the energy and difference between the two leaders. In contrast to Bill Gates who doesn’t seem to fit the stereotype of a CEO and as Sinek puts it is “shy and awkward, a social misfit.” (p. 133), Steve Ballmer came in to the company’s annual global summit meeting with tons of energy.
Both of the leaders love Microsoft and are successful in their own way. The big question for me is, is one way of leading better than the other? In my opinion, Sinek asks a question of even greater importance: “What happens the next day or the next week when Ballmer’s energy is not there to motivate his employees? Is energy enough to keep a company of about 80,000 people focused” (p.133)? I think not. I believe each person is motivated by different things, so as a leader understanding your team and playing to their strengths will go a long way to build your legacy.
Whether you are a leader of an organization or one of the employees of the organization, you are probably working with others as part of a team. I have had the opportunity to work for some great organizations that understood team work and ran well, and I have worked for others that had their challenges. The story at the beginning of this post is helpful to me because I have worked under both types of leaders. Leaders that were very visionary and gregarious but were not the best at execution, and other leaders that were steadier which allowed the organization to move forward. Personally, I feel I am a steady leader, and as time progresses, perhaps the results will speak for themselves. Which leader are you? Are you building an organization or just managing people?
To build a team, I believe you need 3 things.
- Trust – Trustworthiness is vital for your team, and its presence and development can be observed (tangible) or not observed (intangible). Most of trust is very tangible, like having follow through, doing what you say you will do, and being the leader that has your people’s back. There is also intangible trust as well. I would use the feeling of love for example. For those that are married, how did you know that your spouse was the “right” person? Likely, you couldn’t explain it, you just knew. Love is a feeling. There is not a specific correlation between something tangible but flows out of a feeling. The intangible aspect is that who you are comes out, and people will follow you not always because you have the right answers. Are you a trustworthy leader?
- Inspiration – The second thing a leader needs to build a team is the ability to inspire others. Some of the leaders I have worked under were great directors and people that could manage people. I am a firm believer in letting the people you have in your organization do the work they were hired to do without micromanaging them. I love to ask questions to help people figure out the situations they are in to give them the power to accomplish their tasks. Liz Wiseman in her book Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarterexpresses, “Multipliers don’t just give answers. They provide just enough information to provoke thinking and to help people discover and see the opportunity for themselves. They begin a process of discovery” (pp. 107-108). How do you inspire those you lead?
- Cause – The third thing a leader needs is a cause. People really want to work for and at companies that they believe in. When I grew up, many people went to college and then found a job. Many did not work in the area that their degree is in. In a survey from Labor Day last year, the PR Newswire published an article stating that 51% of US employees are satisfied with their jobs. An employee needs to take responsibility for their engagement, but a leader should be inspiring employees and leading them in the “why” of their work. Let me repeat Simon Sinek’s quote from his book Start With Why, “Energy motivates but charisma inspires.” Explaining this further he said, “All great leaders have charisma because all great leaders have clarity of WHY; an undying belief in a purpose or cause bigger than themselves.” Do your people know why they are working, and is it a cause bigger than themselves?
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” Antoine De St. Exupery
I am not saying there is not a place for a rah, rah leader. I have worked under some good ones. I am also not saying that those that are calmer and more collected are better. You need to find your style, figure out how you lead, and develop the team around you. A legacy is built with others and often through a team. Are you trustworthy, inspiring those you lead and bringing them into the cause of your organization?
What other areas do you think are helpful to build a team?