Tech Leadership in so Many Words…#18 Team

There’s a reason why the shelves of your local bookstore are heaving under the weight of so many management books.

It’s because managing people is tough and would be a lot easier if it wasn’t for the people.

But clearly it’s a prerequisite for anyone with leadership ambitions so the question is this:

How to most effectively transform a disparate group of individuals into a high-performance team capable of achieving a common goal?

Every management guru has to create their unique perspective but most tend to agree on the following;

It’s about culture and that culture often depends on you. 

Hire for fit as well as expertise.
Do they bring the right energy, commitment, values to the team?
And follow the hiring maxim …”If there’s any doubt, there is no doubt”

Create an environment of psychological safety and creative empowerment.

Be supportive and accessible — your door should always be open. 

And before we close, an article on management would be incomplete without at least one motivational cliche so here goes…. ‘There’s No i In Team‘.

Individual egos shouldn’t be allowed to dominate the conversation, including yours and beware the superstar who has become more disruptive than irreplaceable.

Finally… the simplest but most overlooked management technique of them all. Learn to say “thank you” more often.

I’m talking specifically to you because I know that you can do this more.
We all can.

Gratitude goes a long way to making people feel valued and it costs you nothing.

‘I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I sure can pick smart colleagues”
– Franklin D Roosevelt

BTW, here’s a smattering of those management books you might already have or should think about acquiring;

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni
• Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute
• The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo
• Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson
• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Want to find out more about CTO Academy and our Technology Leadership Courses, including lectures and discussions focused around Team Building, Dynamics and Culture?

Visit the CTO Academy Website and in particular our executive leadership course, The Digital MBA for Technology Leaders winning rave reviews from technology leaders around the world.