08.17.22
Leadership Team Priorities Over the Next Six Months and Resources to Help: A LinkedIn Survey
Today’s leadership teams are pressured due to economic uncertainty, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and inflation. Building a high performing leadership team will keep the business focused and prospering despite these challenges. But where do you start? In my most recent LinkedIn survey, leaders from companies large and small answered this question. These survey results, and as well as related leadership articles with tangible steps to take, may give you some insight and good places to start.
Leaders were asked “What is your top leadership team development priority for the next six months?”. The leading response was ‘improve team effectiveness”.
What is your top leadership team deployment priority for the next 6 months?
Improve team effectiveness 40%
Improve team communication 37%
Personal development/ awareness 23%
Other 0%
Team Effectiveness
Leadership team effectiveness says it all, and 40% of respondents agreed. If the leadership team isn’t effective, success is unlikely. High performing teams have a mix of members spread across the four work styles – Innovation, Precision, Results and Teamwork. People whose work style is Innovation focus on agility, are comfortable with risk, and communicate by talking things through. The Results work style focuses on goal achievement, task execution, drive to results and is comfortable with competition. The work style Precision focus on process and predictability, is well organized and efficient, prefers analytical decision making, and makes decisions collaboratively. Finally, the Teamwork work style focuses on employee experiences, collaboration, relationship building, and loves to support others growth and development. Leaders should make sure to design their team to align with their business strategy. The Predictive Index and the team discovery tool are a great way to discover your team type and reveal everyone’s work style. This article gives some more tangible steps you can take to build a high performing team.
Team Communication
Close behind team effectiveness in the survey, with 37% of respondents, was team communication. Communication is not just fluency, but how one communicates. Task oriented people like to communicate directly and to the point, and under pressure, may be blunt. People oriented individuals tend to be more empathetic and social in communication, and probably prefer talking things through. Some individuals may take time to connect need time to process information before speaking up, so don’t spring ideas on everyone and always expect an immediate response. This article, “Effective team communication: What it is and how to achieve it” gives some tangible steps to improve communication in the workplace.
Personal Development
The final choice in the survey, Personal development/ awareness drew the fewest responses, 23%, but the greatest number of comments. Author and DEI facilitator Luiza Dreascher, said “Personal development is key. As organizations become increasingly more diverse with globalization, it is imperative we prepare employees to understand and work well across differences.” Leadership coach David Lunken said “It begins with self and others awareness. Start with know yourself and the impact of your style of communication, decision making and delegation, and impact on others.” Teri Kinsella, a Talent Optimization leader, said “Personal development and awareness drives success in team communication and effectiveness. Start with the basics and build.”
For more information on the importance of checking in on yourself and how to use personality and behavioral assessments to enhance self-awareness, check out this article, “Post Pandemic team effectiveness starts with a self-aware leadership.”
The intent of this survey was to show the leadership team priorities of other executives and provide tools and resources to help start or continue your leadership team development. Your comments and feedback are most welcome.
Mark H. Johnson
PI Midlantic