Tailored programmes for leadership teams
Leadership teams will often engage external providers to work with the teams that report to them, but what about the dynamics of the leadership team itself?
Recently we have worked with a large number of leadership teams who have been keen to explore their own team dynamic and to accelerate the team development process.
Whilst a leadership team will naturally experience the same development stages and challenges that will impact any team, they do have some unique features and challenges. They will for one, have the added pressure that any strengths or weaknesses that are inherent within their own decision-making processes will profoundly impact the entire organisation (and often quickly).
The importance of the leadership team gaining important insight into their own collective biases, strengths and weaknesses is therefore paramount. It enables them to better identify just how their strengths and weaknesses manifest under pressure and to develop effective strategies for optimising their strengths, and offsetting any weaknesses that may exist.
When working with a cohort of leaders it's also critical not to approach them from the same perspective that one would any other type of team, and especially not to deploy any stereotypical "team building" approaches.
Of course with a leadership team this process needs to be explored with the utmost discretion, expertise and confidentiality to ensure that they can be as open and authentic with each other as their existing operating culture will permit. The greater the openness and authenticity with which they explore their own dyanmics, the more effective any programme will be. Expert facilitation is thus required, and by people accustomed to working with leaders.
