Leaders

And What They Need

CW5 Issac D Smith

• Publisher: TWCLeader LLC
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780578795317
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

Has the role of a 21st-century leader... changed?

My book teaches people how the life of an army soldier has various lessons for the working individuals of the corporate world. I've taken multiple roles of leadership that have told how, at the very core, we're all similar, and how working hard enough to reach your full potential takes full commitment and relentless hard work.

This book also touches upon some tried and tested ways of building a team - methods that have worked for me and strategies of how teams work in synergy towards a common goal. You'll be able to discover the ways to bring out the best in your employees, coworkers, or students.

Being a great leader is not only about the things you say; but, more importantly, the actions you take.

Chapter 4:
D: Develop Your Team for the Future; Not Just for the Company

It is a common assumption that in the near future, teams will be more diverse. Not just corporate teams, but every group that comes together to work for a common goal – will have individuals from several parts of the world. Gone are the days when only a Brazillian could play soccer, or an Italian could make excellent pizza.

The future is going to be more accepting of our backgrounds – but then again – is your team ready for the future? According to Glassdoor, 67% of recruiters say that having a diverse workforce is essential when you’re considering candidates for jobs. Diversity and a culture that accepts pluralism is only possible when you build a culture that is accepting of every gender, race and generation.

But before you build and develop a team for the future – it is important you understand the purpose of your team. In general, a team is a group of people who come together for an objective. However, this can have various implications. In some cases, a team can be brought together to bridge a gap between departments. A team can also be formed on a short-term basis or for a long-term goal a corporation has.

One of the most important aspects of a team is the true purpose it stands for. A team with a purpose has different people who have goals of their own. The common goal or the bigger picture always aligns with mini goals that every member has. If this doesn’t happen – the team can’t succeed. To reach this level of synergy – it is essential that you, as the leader, identify the short term and long term goals your team has set out to achieve.

Another important step to help your team prosper is by identifying the values you want to celebrate. Famous leader Jack Welch wrote in his book ‘Winning’ that running a business is a lot like driving a bus. You begin by driving the bus alone. You are only allowed to let people on the bus if they share the same values and the same mindset as you. If people don’t share the same values – don’t let them get on the bus.

According to research, companies that put emphasis on diversity can bring 15 times more revenue than those that ignore making their team diverse. It is estimated that by 2065, no racial group will be in the majority, and therefore, no company will only consist of a single race. Another changing factor in teams of the future is a decrease in employee retention. Nowadays, an individual hires a company to fulfill their dreams and learn useful skills rather than a company hiring an employee.

As a result, functioning in a “micro-career” mode has become a norm. People often take a break from their chosen career paths to work a job in a different career path so they can expand their skill set. This prepares people for their next career move while also teaching them some valuable skills. In the future, we’re going to see teams that are project-based rather than being department-based.

Another interesting addition to the workplace is Gen Z. 2017 was the first year Gen Z started stepping into the corporate sector. Gen Z has a new mindset of business and new expectations from their work environment. To give you an idea, for Gen Z a job is much more than a job. For them, working at a place should be an experience that they enjoy. Their workplace should consist of people they can build meaningful relationships with, while a good salary isn’t one of their top concerns.

When a workplace doesn’t suit an individual who belongs to Gen Z, they also have the opportunity to freelance, since it has become so convenient to earn money from the comfort of your home. Various studies suggest that in the future, our work forces will have 40% freelancers. The rising number of people who are skilled enough to earn money on their own suggests that companies will be looking to leverage from these resources.

However, true collaboration and teamwork can only be encouraged by an organization’s culture. An organization’s culture plays a huge role in retaining people. Your culture must support the people who fuel your drive. You must actively take steps to inculcate a culture that rewards team work. Good culture helps people build strong relationships. When team members are clear about what the team stands for and what kind of role each member plays – communication is fluent.

And even though this might seem confusing – the people of your organization can share a lot of similarities despite being from different backgrounds. As the leader of the team, it is your job to gather input from every team member and establish a network that celebrates each of their cultural values and has seamless communication. For streamlined operations, the goals of every member should be clear. This, in turn, shows who is in charge of which kind of situation.

Leaders and entrepreneurs use various ways to develop and form a team that suits their leadership style. Even though leaders acquire personalized models of team formation with experience and time, there’s a standard model of team development that you can follow. In 1965, a psychologist by the name of Bruce Tuckman said that every team goes through 5 stages of development.

Those 5 stages are:

1.Forming

2.Storming

3.Norming

4.Performing

5.Adjourning

These stages start when the team meets each other and they end when the team has been disbanded or when the project ends. Even though it seems that Tuckman liked to rhyme, all of these stages were aptly named. All of these stages play a vital role in building a team.

1.Forming

The first stage of every team’s development process is forming. Forming is a lot like your first day at college or your first day in the army boot camp. You can even compare this experience to going out on your first date.

You’ve just been introduced to the team and everyone is nice to you. At the start, most of the people are overly excited about the journey they’re about to pursue and it seems as if you’ve been assigned the perfect team members. During this stage of the team’s formation, the members of the team and the leaders often discuss:

• The skills of the members
• Their backgrounds and interests
• The goals of the project they’re working on
• How long the project can take
• Some ground rules everyone is expected to follow
• The roles of every team member

As the members of the team start to get to know each other, responsibilities and roles begin to form. It is vital that the members of the team understand relationships with each other and understand how every member contributes to the grand scheme of things. But one thing you should remember is – this stage focuses on the people more rather than the work they have set out to do.

Just like the first day of army boot camp – we don’t start training from the get-go. We’re given time to find our rooms, move in and familiarize ourselves with the people we live. When the Life of a soldier starts, and we start training, everyone knows the time for socializing is over. That’s why the initial few days aren’t necessarily the most productive – for any team.

2.Storming

This is the time when we’ve gone through our first training day as soldiers, and we’ve felt the complete heat of the situation. Now we’re starting to realize why a solider is so hard-wired, and why every human in a uniform is so tough.

You can also compare this feeling to the point you become aware of your partner’s true characteristics in a relationship. Now, the initial excitement of the journey is over, and the monstrous weight of responsibility can be felt. Think of it this way – yo...

Table of contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgement
• Chapter 1L: Lead From the Front
• Chapter 2:E: Engage Every Team Member; Not Just the Leaders
• Chapter 3: A: Assign Tasks and Responsibilities Properly
• Chapter 4: D: Develop Your Team for the Future; Not Just for the Company
• Chapter 5: E: Encourage Your Team to Think BIG
• Chapter 6: R: Respect Yourself, the Team and the Company
• Chapter 7: S: Support, Service and Secure
• Conclusion