Leadership

Take all the leaders you’ve been privileged to follow and name their most compelling attributes. Imagine all those qualities combined in the character of one super hybrid leader. He or she would be inspirational yet practical. Integrity would be a must. Humor would be a bonus. Consider how the following competencies might be valuable to your organization from the team’s perspective.

Is it nature or nurture? Poise during the final seconds of an expiring clock in a sports contest often separates winners from losers. Hitting the high note in a solo during an orchestra performance in front of a packed house frequently distinguishes the virtuoso musician from the unprofessional. Making the tough decision at the head of the leadership table usually differentiates the effective chief executive from the ineffective figurehead. Are these leaders born with such composure under pressure or are these learned behaviors? A little of both is the likely answer. So, assuming the gift of nature – the lucky wiring handed down from generations of genetics – is part of the package, where does the nurture – the learned ability to remain graceful when it counts most – come from? Let’s look at the three most likely sources.

The audience for the recent “Women in Technology” keynote bore little resemblance to the demographics on the convention floor at CTIA’s 2014 Super Mobility Week in Las Vegas. While the exhibitor booths were commonly staffed with more men than women, female attendees of the workshop represented greater than a 9-to-1 ratio. The elephant in the room was not the fact that the keynote speaker was man. The travesty was the glaring absence of male participants in an industry needing to “get” the diversity advantage.

In retrospect, the ambitious project was probably a test. The project manager’s boss wondered about his ability to lead from behind. In the past, his creative mind and boundless energy had distanced him from his teammates. Often, his pace and focus prohibited him from hearing feedback or seeing alternate perspectives. The test project would become a tipping point for his career since it could only be accomplished if he was able to empower the leadership of his peers. Not surprisingly, he got off on the wrong foot.

The week between Christmas and new Years has been brimming with stories about soldiers returning from tours of duty to be reunited with their families. Seldom does the news of the day so aptly capture the dichotomous essence of relationships: the delicate balance between attachment and loss.

Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

Ask: this month’s team challenge

Apply: example story

Act: action steps for consideration