Success is about developing a winning team that learns how to repeat its successes and victories, again and again. Sustainable success is the real mark of leadership. Develop a level of quality in your leadership team and focus the team on the process of getting better in addition to the business results that you need to achieve. Ensure that the team knows that getting the results at any cost is a sign that you haven’t arrived yet, and help them realize that the journey to increase the potential of everyone on their teams is the first step to sustainable success.
Setting A Fine Example — If you are going to become a truly virtuoso leader, you are going to have to start by teaching and by going first. You cannot expect your team to want to go anywhere you aren’t willing to go yourself. Tremendous leaders know that the way to build a dynasty is to focus on building a very strong team, one that is broad and deep, and has an unshakeable bond to one another as teammates. The team sees itself as a team and that bond is built upon a shared vision for what they want to accomplish. Fantastic leaders inspire that shared vision for the team early on in the team building and teaching process and the team works diligently to improve as individuals and as a team. They maximize their personal and collective potential. It all starts with YOU. You must go first. You must set the stage. You must be willing to model the behavior you expect from everyone else, and stick to that example in an eternal unwavering way.
Establish The Highest Standards — As you are setting a fine example, you must also demonstrate your character by remaining 100% true to your morals and ethical standards. There is no way to be half honest, you either HAVE integrity or you don’t. It’s not a part time thing; it’s an every day thing, absolutely. When you have a valuable team member who breaks the rules and violates the standards or the rules you’ve set, you must apply the punishments without hesitation. Realize that the rest of the team is watching your every move when your top performer breaks the rules to see if your character is just talk, or if you are a person of integrity. Giving special treatment or allowing inconsistent application of your standards destroys those standards and the character of your collective team at the same time. Your organization, your team, your reputation are all built upon a foundation of trust, which is the bedrock of building a dynasty. Build trust or break trust, that is your choice. Setting high standards and sticking to them, no matter the cost, is the ONLY way to set the stage for sustainable success.
Manage By Walking Around — Don’t think that you can be a great leader if you’re sitting in your office with the door closed all day. Great leaders often show their people that they care about them by getting up and walking around and engaging with the team. With a high level of involvement and interaction, you will know what is going on, and the team will know that you care about what they’re doing. Managing by walking around is also an outstanding way for you to notice great teaching and coaching opportunities, where you can roll up your sleeves and show your people the best practices you’ve learned and the best methods to solve problems and operate at a high level. Make sure you’re prepared for each day, and ensure that you engage with your team every day. This approach will allow you to demonstrate that every member of the team is important and that every detail is worthy of attention and crisp focus on execution.
This is a good start toward building a team that will build your organization toward repeatable success, and true industry leadership. Sustainable success is the real mark of leadership, and setting your team up to believe that there is value in the PROCESS of becoming winners, not just in the victories, is a great start. Keep an eye out for our next blog article on how to set your team on the road to dynasty!
Michael Beach is a leadership development coach and business advisor in Minnesota. Michael and his team support Executives, Leaders, and Business Owners in their efforts to build a great culture, and a powerful and resilient leadership team that can give the organization a chance at championships and dynasty.
