Only Extraordinary Teams Deliver Extraordinary Results
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF BUILDING A HIGH PERFORMACE LEADERSHIP TEAM?
The answer to the above question... very slim indeed! If four decades of psychological research, including key research from Harvard - suggest that a mere 4% of people are capable of the kind of focus that is required to fully achieve their goals and objectives; if the University of Chicago and the University of Milan's findings - that the normal mind is never-present - are correct; if the very latest research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience confirm that the brain is actually "wired" to not focus... what are the chances of getting one purposefully focused person on a leadership team - never mind the whole team?
The fact is that fifty years' research in the area of team dynamics confirms that over 90% of leadership teams are dysfunctional... and I think that that figure is grossly understated! The normal mind's "wiring" guarantees in-fighting, hidden agendas, acceptable underperformance, missed targets, unimplemented strategic plans, attempted management by email, failed major projects... no doubt you have your own list.
ARE THERE HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP TEAMS? HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
Yes, there are - and they achieve extraordinary results... effortlessly. The extra in extraordinary is purposeful focus - something that the ordinary mind cannot do. That's not quite true: anybody can develop and maintain purposeful focus - psychology has established that. And cognitive psychology and neuroscience has now proved how to do it - most importantly, strange as it may sound, this research has established that the development of purposeful focus "rewires" the brain thanks to a phenomenon known as neural plasticity.
As a business leader, you can do it on your own. And it works, it's wonderful, you become an inspired and inspirational leader: my many business clients have the results to show for it. But, every now and then, someone who has realized their own potential asa truly extraordinary leader decides to make life effortlessly easy for themselves and their entire team - by bringing their leadership team on the same journey to purposeful focus... together. And that's where I come in.
BUILDING AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP TEAM
I'm trying (I really am) not too sound too over the top - but the truth is that the team that discovers themselves, together, is a team that walks through walls to achieve what others would consider unbelievable, unachievable or downright unimaginable.
What do I mean by "discovers themselves"? When team members embrace their faults and failings for what they are (constructs of the childhood stored knowledge that you and I call "baggage"), they suddenly realize that all the nonsense that prevents teams from achieving their objectives is just that... nonsense. But, once they realize that they can set their minds - together - in a way that enables purposeful focus, you have a whole new dynamic - the kind that walks through walls as if they aren't there because, of course, they're not... the only walls we encounter are psychological.
OH GOD... IS THIS SOME KIND OF GROUP THERAPY?
Nothing could be further from the fun and energizing experience that is one of my leadership team events. Nobody is exposed or feels exposed. Everyone is enabled - interestingly enough, often the team's resident sceptic becomes the most energized! Everyone internalizes (subconsciously) a mission - they don't have a mission... they embark on a mission (there's a world of difference). Above all, everyone signs up to a way of doing things that is way beyond the scope of normal (crazy) people.
So, not only is it not group therapy - neither is it a great event that, like many great events, is completely forgotten six weeks later. Why? Because of the ongoing support - and dedicated online portal - that the team receives. Because of the follow up whereby team members answer for how they've stuck to their commitments. Because that whole process is built around ridiculously simple, concrete actions.
AND THE RESULTS?
I've a lovely piece of art on my wall here at home - The Outstanding Achievement Award from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. And I've a short email from the Regional President of Pfizer that says "We'd like to thank you for your contribution to our bottom line for the financial year just ended." It's pure coincidence that the example I've quoted are both from the pharma industry. I've seen the same results in banking, hotels, power generation, food and beverage and the accounting and legal world.
Businesses measure results in money. Chief Executives do too - but they also measure them in work/life balance, happiness, peace of mind and fun. Are they the kind of things you might be interested in?
