Collaboration at work is the norm in most business environments today. There are some exceptions, those who succeed due to competitive sales goals, etc. However, much of what is made and many services that are offered to consumers don’t just happen through the efforts of one person. A team — usually many interrelated teams — work through concepts, planning, risks, production, quality control, sales, and distribution. That’s how America’s machine works.
However, some team members will naturally rise above others as they distinguish themselves while helping the team (and company) succeed.
Leadership and HR guru Lou Adler recently wrote on this issue that bubbled up through a podcast interview. He recounted several leadership lessons from decades ago that are still relevant today. Here’s his big takeaway:
While strategy drives tactics, people matter more.
Lou Adler
Lesson 1: Team problem-solving will often reveal an ultimate consensus to follow one team member.
“On the first day of my first real job as a systems engineer working on the guidance system for a ballistic missile my boss asked me to meet everyone in the group and come back in two days and tell him why you can’t push on a rope. While I thought I knew the answer from a physics point-of-view, it was the wrong answer. It turned out that the right answer was getting six very smart people who all thought their brilliant design solutions were the best to change their minds and agree on the most practical ones. To me this is the at the core of exceptional EQ, soft skills and collaborative ability. It starts by understanding everyone’s point-of-view and figuring out how to get a bunch of individuals all with great ideas to move forward as a team on just one. It’s also why this question about understanding a job candidate’s greatest team accomplishment reveals it all.”
Lesson 2: Strategy Drives Tactics
“When the demand for great talent exceeds the supply, you can’t focus on getting more efficient on weeding out the weak, you need to get better at attracting the best.”
Lesson 3: There is nothing more important than hiring great people.
Read Adler’s entire article here: Leadership Lessons from the 1970s.
Hiring top talent who will distinguish themselves even in the midst of a team environment will help build strong supports for the structure of the business and its eventual success.
At Core Technology Solutions, we find those great people, top talent exclusively in the IT space who fit more than just a job; they fit a company culture and team strategy that will build success, project by project. Call us if you are looking to take your career to the next level.
