A Systematic Approach to Excellence
The Leader's Guide to Unlocking Extraordinary Team Potential
If you are new to Leadership Letters, this is a periodic publication where I share insights into leadership qualities and challenges that are commonly encountered but not frequently discussed. Drawing from my experiences in the industry, working with leaders at prominent companies such as Apple, Google (#faang), and beyond, I aim to explore effective engineering leadership styles. My goal is to infuse a sense of enjoyment into technology, as it rightfully should be for all.
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A high-performing team is desired by everyone, but very few leaders actually take the step to build one. If you hope to be handed a group of people who tend to work very efficiently, thus leading a high-performing team, that’s never going to work. At the core of any high-performing team is the leader. The leader needs to actively resolve a lot of issues to steer its team towards an exponential growth trajectory. In this post, we are going to build a systematic approach to building teams that not only achieve excellence but also keep a leader on their toes to keep improving.
High-performing engineering teams operate as a cohesive unit, driven by clear goals and a shared vision. They possess a potent blend of technical expertise and effective communication, empowering them to tackle complex challenges with agility and innovation. Trust and psychological safety are woven into the fabric of these teams, fostering an environment where individuals feel comfortable taking calculated risks and openly sharing ideas. A relentless focus on improvement fuels their work, with a shared commitment to learning, feedback, and continuous iteration. The result? Not only superior technical outcomes but a dynamic and fulfilling work experience for each team member.
Key Ingredients of High-performing Teams
There are plenty of resources available online that can highlight core characteristics of a high-performing team, so we will keep this brief,
Clear goals and shared vision: Everyone understands the team's objectives and is committed to achieving them.
Strong technical expertise: The team possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their domain.
Effective communication: Team members communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully, fostering collaboration.
Psychological safety: Individuals feel comfortable taking risks, sharing ideas, and admitting mistakes without fear of judgment.
Continuous learning and improvement: The team actively seeks feedback, embraces new knowledge, and iterates on their processes.
Strong leadership: The leader provides clear direction, supports team members, and fosters a positive work environment.
Culture of trust and accountability: Team members trust each other and hold themselves and others accountable for achieving goals.
As you can see, these are all the good things you can imagine. But it does not tell us anything about why not every manager is following these steps. High-performing teams produce ~2x more work than a regular one. It sounds like every manager’s dream? Not so fast. The leader of a high-performing team needs to invest 2x more time to create and maintain a systematic structure that enables a team to perform at its best. Next, let’s focus our energy on creating a framework as a starting point for solving this problem with a systematic approach.
Your Team Transformation Framework
Building a high-performing team isn't magic. It's deliberate and systematic. This framework will provide a roadmap for transforming your team, outlining key elements and actionable steps to achieve sustained excellence.
Collaborate in Setting Direction: Leadership is often seen as a chain of command. While it works very well in a military environment, it doesn’t scale well into today’s corporate world. Start collaborating with your team when setting direction. When a team takes part in setting vision and direction, they tend to be more engaged.
Foster Positive Mindset: There are broadly two kinds of people: one who focuses on the problem and the other who strives for solutions. Humans aren’t meant to predict the future; unexpected blockers will come up. A high-performing team’s core competency is to overcome barriers.
Focus on Rewards & Recognition: High-performing teams thrive in environments where contributions are consistently acknowledged and celebrated. As a leader, you are responsible for creating an incentive structure that motivates your team to produce high-quality work efficiently. Remember, incentives will vary from person to person (we’ll dive deeper into incentive structure in a later post).
Define Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Clear roles and responsibilities eliminate confusion, reduce overlap, and empower team members to take ownership, allowing them to focus on their strengths and contribute optimally to the team's success. This is one of the most challenging areas for a leader, as you need to be proactive in resolving conflicts. As a leader, focus on doing your best to align interests with roles to optimize each individual’s personal growth.
Cultivate Leaders at Every Level: At the very center of a high-performing team are competence and motivation. Just as you add additional servers to balance loads across your application, developing leaders at every level becomes crucial for a high-performing team. Strong leaders are needed to guide and motivate team members!
Remember, this framework isn't a rigid prescription, but a powerful starting point. Adapt it to your team's unique needs and dynamics. As a leader, your most critical role is to actively engage with the team. This doesn't mean micromanaging, but fostering a sense of common purpose, spotting roadblocks, and supporting your team to find solutions. Avoid driving results through fear or intimidation; instead, cultivate trust and psychological safety. Embrace the journey of building a high-performing team - the rewards are immeasurable for both you and the individuals you lead.
Today we touched on a very sensitive topic: effective leadership. Every one of us understands the benefits of leading a high-performing team, but we need to understand that it starts with us. Build your own approach to systematically solve the problem of unproductivity; the people you lead will be more satisfied and will enjoy their work. Technology is an exciting space, and all of us are eager to contribute; the right leader knows how to bring out the best. With the right tools and strategies, you can "Turn the Ship Around!".
[1] Turn the Ship Around by Capt. David Marquet (Retd.): https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Ship-Around-Building-Breaking/dp/0241250943
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