Do You Have a Champion Team with a Champion Leader?

The Business Essentials Series

By: John L Millar

Narrated by: John L Millar

Length: 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Developing a loyal championship team that is willing to stand in the heat for you, win for you, follow you and rejoice with you is the result of directed, well-placed and guided intention and training. It doesn’t just happen. In fact look at a disjointed group of selfish employees who lazily hang about a workplace, trying to get away with producing as little as possible, and I’ll show you a team that lacks direction and leadership.

This module is all about developing that champion team that will deliver, that will withstand difficulties for the sake of the business and for you. It’s no joke that your team is only as strong as its weakest link. Have a look at the ones on your team who are underperforming. This is how strong you are - or aren’t.

In this module we will look at the five traits of a champion leader and evaluate the best ways in which you can adopt them so they become a daily part of your routines. We evaluate the best ways in which to apply these characteristics to your business and how to reap the results.

The five traits of a champion leader.

These five characteristics of a champion can be applied within businesses in two ways: as a standard against which leaders must be measured and as a standard against which all potential team members are measured and held accountable.

1. Commitment. leaders need to know how to gain commitment to a compelling vision and the strategies that are used to achieve it. This also includes investing the time and energy in creating that compelling vision and strategies and having the courage to ask for help in achieving it. This comes from leaders who know how to communicate in a way that influences their team members in a positive way. It’s a way of communicating that shows how each individual team member benefits when the organization fulfills its vision and strategy, gaining buy-in from all.

2. Humility. Leaders must lead by example in setting the expectation of constant and never-ending improvement, and they show it by being open to feedback from all sources. This means more than just proclaiming there is an “open door” policy. It must be demonstrated by actually taking feedback and accepting appreciation for that feedback by saying ‘thank you.’ There is no need for justification, explanation, recriminations or blame. Accepting comment and suggestion from everyone is one of the greatest ways to display your humility and concern for all.

3. Accountability. Being accountable for decisions, outcomes, results, mistakes and errors is all part of creating a work-place environment in which all members are valued and cared for. It engenders maturity, innovation, stake-holder thinking and team support. And it all begins with you. It doesn’t have to be scary - in fact it can be invigorating and exciting. It’s not about creating a blame-game - on the contrary it’s all about creating a mature, well-developed, evolutionary workplace where everyone gets to be part of the decision process.

4. Motivation. Motivation is more than just hard work and long hours. It means being inspired to take action even with difficult decisions and challenging situations. It means avoiding procrastination at all costs and refusing to tolerate things that do not improve the organization. And it means supporting the best efforts of team members.

Leaders must understand human motivation and apply the following assumptions in their approach: Everyone on the team wants to do a good job. Actions/decisions are always done with positive intent with the best resources individuals have available to them at the time. People want to be recognized for their contributions. People are motivated by intrinsic factors.

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