Leading a team is less about acting like the boss and more about acting like...a trusted colleague. At its core, leadership really is a collaborative endeavor. The best and most sustainable growth I’ve seen has come in teams where trust pervades the departmental corridors. In teams where trust exists, almost anything is possible. And when it comes to developing and inhabiting that space, I have two words for you: “No blame.”
So what is blame? Blame is judgment. And what is judgment? It’s an opinion not universally held. Here’s what I mean: Supposing you and I are on a team, and we’re working on a project. You fall short of a deadline, and I think it’s your fault. Well, if I think it’s your fault, and I’m supposed to be your key supporter in achieving our team’s agenda, then my environment just became toxic, didn’t it? Blame withholds trust. And trust is the precondition for achievable happiness in any organization.
Takeaway:
Count to ten instead of naming names when something goes wrong. Trust one another without reservation, and sustainable growth will come.
There is a proverb that states, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Your task: Describe a ritual your team has (or might have) to make continuous and meaningful collaboration happen.