Smart teams outperform smart individuals.
3 Practices That Build Smart Teams
Use these practices to build one you’re proud to lead.
Smart teams are never an accident. They’re built, not born.
This post is loaded with practices you can implement today.
Democratic management sounds noble—shared voice, shared power, shared purpose. But done poorly, it becomes a swamp of indecision, unclear roles, and death by consensus.
Done well, democratic management energizes people, advances mission, and deepens ownership.
Here’s how to make democratic decisions and avoid death by consensus.
You can’t lift people while looking down on them.
Snobs wear many disguises—good intentions, strong work ethic, noble achievements.
Superiority thrives on comparison—finding someone “less” to feel like “more.”
“Better at” isn’t “better than.”
Spot the signs of snobbery.
Protect your teams from the danger.
E.B. White writes about his geese, “They badmouth everybody and everything. But they’re oddly companionable once you get used to their ingratitude and their false accusations.”
Negative people are like geese.
A goose may honk your ear off. It’s tempting to withdraw, stop trying, or retaliate. But teams are full of imperfect people.
Stop making excuses.
Stop justifying.
Stop proving you’re right.
Stop proving they’re wrong.
Ask for what you want.
Many requests come from dissatisfaction. Stop complaining before asking for something. You can’t antagonize and influence at the same time.
A complaint is not a request.
Ask for what you want…
Jump in early. There’s another great book give-away on Leadership Freak today!
Ego is narrow. But the heart of the humble is wide.
Practical humility is willing to:
Admit what you don’t know.
Rely on others.
Honor other people’s strengths.
Learn from anyone.
