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“Teams are collections of people who must rely on group collaboration if each member is to experience optimum success and goal achievement.”

William Dyer

No one individual ever has the entire combination of experience, skills and talent that a finely tuned management team can have. Each individual brings his or her own diverse background and perspective to the organizational table working toward a common goal. Management wants to develop and promote an ongoing process that strengthens the ability of the group to provide shared leadership. As a CEO, my goal, for this veteran, talented cohort, is for them to integrate in a way that would create a critical level of quality.

The relationship among team members to each other and the CEO is a critical piece of achieving corporate success. It is essential for there to be trust among team members; for their overall effectiveness, both individually and collectively, to be optimal; for their ability to think strategically and act tactically to be expanded; and for accountability to be enhanced.

Begin with Expectations.

I believe in expectations. A leader should work hard to make sure that expectations are clearly stated and support the vision. If you can articulate thoughts and ideas consistently and with as much precision as possible, you can greatly reduce ambiguity, as well as the potential for misinterpretation and error.

People need to know what the expectations are. Clarify and communicate exactly how you define the spectrum of results, from successful to unacceptable. This includes what matters to your organization.

Next, in order to get the job done what resources do you need? As a manager and supervisor, I always ask, “What can I do to help? What do you need from me? What resources can I provide or secure for you in the way of information, training, contacts or time?”

I listen carefully to the answers I get to these questions. Sometimes folks will go off and accomplish what they need to on their own; sometimes they require more time and direction. If I don’t know which they need, I cannot be effectively supportive as their leader and then someone may potentially fail. Therefore, we always need to pay attention and be prepared to take our lead from others.

Finally, what are the consequences, implications, benefits and/or rewards of meeting those expectations or not meeting them? This invariably needs to be part of the conversation. I strongly believe it is in everyone’s best interest – particularly the organization’s – to hold people accountable.

The expectation for managers is simple: Leadership. You want them to step up to the plate, be there for each other and be there for the organization.

Of course the reality is that no matter what the boss says or does or how responsibility and authority are delegated, it is both implicit and explicit that s/he owns 50.01 percent of the leadership stock. This means s/he is in charge. But that still leaves plenty of room for others to lead. Once again, in order for this partnership to be successful, you have to articulate and clarify your expectations for each other.

Ask each other and answer for each other the following questions:

•What does the team want, need or expect from the CEO?

•What does the CEO think the team wants, needs or expects from him/her?

•What does the CEO want, need or expect from the team?

•What does the team think the CEO wants, needs or expects from them?

•What does the CEO appreciate about the team and see as their contributions?

•What does the team appreciate about the CEO and see as his/her contributions?

•What does the team want the CEO to start, stop or continue doing?

•What does the CEO want the team to start, stop, or continue doing?

When you are finished, carefully examine your responses together. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Where are there gaps? How will you bridge them?

As officers of an organization, senior managers are, of course, held to a higher standard. From a global perspective their responsibilities may include:

•Preparing, organizing and controlling activities of the corporation

•Understanding operations

•Strategic thinking and planning

•Policies and procedures

•Financial management

•Business development and marketing

•Appreciating the sense of urgency in their work

However, on the ground, these leadership criteria can be sorted into the following containers.

Communication: The team’s thoughts and ideas, both individually and collectively, are presented in an unambiguous, organized and articulate manner. As leaders they communicate well with others; their skills are excellent and they can represent the company in a straightforward and consistent manner. They are sensitive to the impact on the listener and adjust their styles as appropriate.

Alliance-building: Leaders build alliances within and among units as needed to achieve high performance on the stated objectives. They encourage collaboration and teamwork, actively contributing to cohesiveness and cooperation among associates. As team players, they are concerned with the entire organization and their cooperative spirit extends beyond their immediate units or departments. They deal with others effectively to encourage them to build and sustain alliances.

Problem-solving: Leaders consistently demonstrate insight in analyzing problems, determining practical solutions and effectively implementing decisions. They carefully consider consequences; after recognizing a problem, they make timely, practical and cost-effective decisions.

Planning: Leaders set appropriate goals and priorities while consistently defining accountabilities and the work at hand. They anticipate change and arrange work activities to achieve results.

Initiative/Innovation: Leaders are self-starters, willing and able to take independent action. They demonstrate original thinking, ingenuity and creativity in developing new or improved methods and procedures. They routinely exert extra effort in getting the job done while pursuing acceptance of new ideas and anticipating solutions to emerging situations.

Global Perspective: Leaders maintain a big-picture perspective for the organization, accepting their functional role from a corporate stance.

Employee Relations: Leaders foster a productive working environment, taking steps to promote the appropriate participation, development and maximum utilization of all employees. They also deal with employee concerns effectively.

What steps can you take to strengthen your own leadership team?