A CONNECTED LEADERSHIP TEAM

Smarter together as a leadership team

BY MANDY FLINT & ELISABET VINBERG HEARN

Leadership teams don't always find it easy to work together Everyone is busy, and may never have had time to get to know each other The members may not inhabit the same office or even be in the same country or continent, and time differences can make getting together online challenging. There are often conflicting priorities and a culture of healthy or unhealthy competition. Yes, it can be complicated

And yet, working effectively together as a leadership team is crucial to success No one has all the answers, and no one can achieve success on their own. Use the talents, knowledge and experience of every team member for the benefit of the team.

Be smarter together Collective intelligence and collective decisionmaking equal the ability to influence more

When a leadership team works well together, with a shared purpose that everyone believes in and owns, something almost magical happens –their impact is multiplied, their teams work better with each, communication flows more effectively, goals are aligned, and the risk of confusion and overlaps can start to be eradicated.

So if you are part of a leadership team, and want to have a greater impact together, and better goal achievement, then look for the common purpose, what you all have in common. What do you all want to achieve?

And then, talk about that and reach an agreement on a shared commitment to that purpose Make that commitment a promise Out loud

Whenever possible, connect your goals to those of your peers If there are competitive behaviours between you and your leadership peers, then having connected goals will make those competitive behaviours impossible to carry on with. If each leadership team member can be responsible not just for their individual performance but also for the performance of the team overall, then it brings out more collaborative behaviours instead

Constantly ask yourselves the question: How can we achieve MORE because we are a team?

And then focus on building relationships with your peers on the leadership team. Take an interest in them, get to know them, and value their contributions and difference of opinion continued

Echo chambers are not healthy. Diverse perspectives and opinions are a must to maximise collective intelligence. The more diversity of thought, style and experience, the more a challenge or opportunity can be explored and solutions found Use the brain power of the whole team.

Help each other succeed by giving helpful feedback, sharing intel, and by 'coaching' each other to be as successful as you can be. Peer coaching is a largely overlooked strategy that can transform peer relationships and teams.

And in the increasingly hybrid world of work, make a point of connecting with each other at regular intervals, not just as a team, but one-to-one too. This doesn't have to be timeconsuming. In fact, by forging strong relationships you will save a lot of time by reducing misunderstandings and unhealthy conflict Teams can absolutely be built online

And don't overlook how much of a role model you all are, not just separately but maybe even more importantly - as a team.

If you want a collaborative organisation, lead the way as a leadership team. Show others what can be achieved when you rally around a shared purpose, make the most of everyone's unique contributions, and align goals for greater goal achievement

Want great leadership team success? Then get together with your peers and work on how to work together, how to support each other, and how to have a greater impact together.