Leadership can make or break a team or organisation and is an integral part of culture, writes Pete Lowe, leadership specialist and founder of First Team Ltd.
Hierarchical organisations where the power dynamic is inherently ‘top-down’ are still pretty widespread. Creating consistency of culture and clear lines of responsibility are helpful but grow our organisations and achieve their full potential, we need to accept that good ideas aren’t restricted to the C-suite.
How many times have you heard the phrase “This is how we’ve always done it.” It might seem harmless, but if nobody ever challenges it, it could actually render an organisation defunct. Innovation brings relevance to an ever-changing society, so the question we should be continually asking is: “How can we make this even better?”
When you challenge people’s perspectives it creates a healthy learning environment that naturally stimulates fresh ideas and it brings valuable energy and impetus.
Inherent within a winning mindset is the capacity to dream big. Dreams don’t need editing or cutting back to make them more ‘manageable’; they are the momentum behind which positive change is achieved.
When a leader stifles his or her team, they place limitations on them which deters them from thriving and fulfilling their full potential. This might not be a deliberate move but even if it’s an unconscious act, it is coming from a place of fear and not positivity.
The most successful sports teams, like those in busines, recognise that life is a moving picture and that when you win once, it doesn’t justify sustained success. The key to a winning mindset is knowing that change is inevitable. As soon as you stand still or get complacent, you are effectively falling behind.
I use the term “move to improve” with my clients as it has a sense of kinetic energy. It’s a simple reminder that wins can happen by chance, but there is a much greater likelihood of consistent success if you develop a leadership culture which embraces innovation and new ideas.
When you create a culture that invites people to bring new ideas and have healthy debate it is incredibly powerful. It also makes it a ‘safe’ environment for people to try new approaches without worrying about the risk of failure or blame.
Fear-based cultures view failure as a ‘no go area’ whereas strong leaders recognise that failure is a natural by-product of innovation and entrepreneurialism. Mistakes can be our biggest teachers if we learn from them and use them as a catalyst for positive change.
This culture can only be achieved where there is trust. Great leaders support their teams and encourage them to become leaders themselves, rather than followers. They are not afraid to appoint people who are more skilled in other areas and they understand the value of humility.
Business, like sport, is an industry populated by egos. As Pat Riley (a basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association) explores in The Winner Within, strong characters are powerful agents of change and can be incredibly influential.
They must, however, be tempered with awareness otherwise their egos can dominate and disempower other team members. This creates toxic ‘politics’ that can really detract from the team’s vision and destabilise the whole organisation.
Leadership can either make or break a team or organisation in a high-pressure environment; it’s like walking a tightrope, which requires incredible dexterity, awareness and insight.
A strong leadership culture creates continuous lines of success and sustained high performance. This can be achieved by:
encouraging (and making it safe for) people at all levels within an organisation to bring fresh ideas.
ensuring people take accountability.
removing fear of failure and blame when innovations don’t go well.
creating a learning environment that embraces new ways of working.
making sure egos are kept in check and complacency is not accepted.
knowing that the team is a unified entity - it celebrates the wins and shoulders the losses as one.