One of the biggest mistakes made when developing leaders is removing them from their colleagues, sending them alone to training, and then returning them to unchanged colleagues – and expecting that leader to demonstrate their new skills or act differently.
That’s called the “dirty fish tank” approach, first shared in Do Big Things. You don’t clean a fish tank by removing the fish, scrubbing it, and then placing it back in scummy water. The system dictates the behaviors of the individual.
Equally risky is investing in a team offsite to strengthen group dynamics assuming that individuals on the team will magically make stronger contributions. There are no small number of teams who have strong connections between poorly talented or insecure teammates.
Teams Are Stronger With Individuals Who Feel Independent
Author Daniel Pink shares convincing research in Drive that reinforces the fact that humans crave autonomy – the freedom to think, act and be their authentic selves. Interestingly, in our 25+ years of working with organizations around the world, we’ve observed this striking phenomenon:
- If a team is comprised of insecure, low EQ or unethical people the result will often be a fractured team. It’s difficult for individuals with unchecked biases or a poor sense of self-esteem to collaborate effectively with others, for example.
- Equally important to understand, however, is that a group comprised of similar people (as those identified above) can alternatively result in a team that forms bonds which are too tight. In these cases the identity and norms of the team become an unspoken mandate, thus diminishing the ability of the individual to retain their independence.
Both scenarios result in a slower organization, where performance is blocked by a lack of diverse thinking, poorer decision making and other maladies.
These Questions Support You In Finding The Balance
Until you can get in a leadership development program that develops the individual and the team in concert, ask these or similar questions to strengthen the awareness of colleagues:
- What does it look like to provide necessary independence to individuals while operating as a strong team?
- Do we invest in developing individuals and the team at a proportion required for higher performance?
- What does it look like for us to celebrate individuals and the team equally?
Working together effectively requires space for people to be strong individuals. The members of your team know how much space they need.
