In part two of a four-blog series, I want to share the following two books that influenced my leadership journey so far. Like the first two books shared, the two below come from recommendations, and the concepts intertwine if you take the time to dig into what the authors share.
Book #3 – “Team of Teams” by Stanley A. McChrystal
Team of Teams is a fascinating read. While heavily focused on winning the Afghan war from the lens of the US Military, it shed light on how the old school approach to hierarchical leadership and leading with authority no longer works. As a leader, one needs to consider what their team lacks on staying current and shifting left in thinking; no longer order takers and moving more towards strategic thinking. Overall, the book amplified my internal networking, executing plans, and adapting to a new level.
Some key takeaways from the book:
- Complicated to complex. As we introduce new technologies, the work becomes more complex and demands new approaches at light speed. As a leader, you must be ready to shift how you lead (from authority to influence).
- The more you try to optimize a complex system entirely, the more impact the total system’s ability to adapt. As a leader, you need to make sure your team can function without you so they can lean on each other to adjust when needed. High-performing teams don’t need micromanaging, and they need to figure out the how without a lot of input from you.
- Organizational charts that are tidy and full of information on roles and responsibilities make teams messy. Now, you do need some organizational structure, but 100% of outcomes, if done well, will not be achieved by a group, especially if you need to adapt to the ever-changing technological, social, and political landscape.
I could go on for pages of what I have gained as a leader by reading and implementing the concepts in the book. However, I suggest you read it and learn about the needs and processes to adapt and shift from command and control leadership to a “team of teams”. Who knows, you might like “leading like a gardener”.
Options for reading/listening: Hardcopy Book | Audible
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you choose to read or listen to the book.
Book #4 – “Break-through” by David Nurse
David Nurse, an ex-basketball player, has written a book that blends nicely with other leadership books but in a self-help form. What I like about the book is the concept of SENSE.
S = Stop solving problems – some of the most challenging lessons are not what you need to start doing but what you need to stop or unlearn, which is much more complex, especially if you have formed a habit.
- As a leader, what does your team, or you for that matter, need to unlearn? Nurse suggests taking a step back and stopping trying to solve problems.
E = Eliminate goals – when you set a goal, you generally do everything you can to meet it, but focus on the mission, you might select a different purpose.
- As a leader, it’s essential to focus on a mission/vision with an outcome in mind and nudge your team(s) to figure out how to deliver on the outcome.
N = Navigate the how – while the how question is super important, reframing it with key questions, you might get fantastic outcomes.
Consider these questions:
- How can we outperform our highest aspirations?
- How do we keep production, motivation, and drive high?
- How do we prioritize everything we need to accomplish in a day?
- As a leader, you should see these as great leadership questions your team needs hearing or brainstorming with you. For me, these are not foreign concepts but put in the SENSE framework, they come to mind daily as I lead teams. To share a secret, I am still a work in progress.
Remember – breakthroughs happen by finding answers to age-old questions of “who, what, where, and why” to help you figure out the How. Now, if you read Who NOT How, you can take this concept to a new level.
Now, seize the formula and focus your attention on you as a leader and how you show up. It can also make a tremendous team-building brainstorming session. Individually, I use this to figure out my brand where I need to make tweaks in my development plan and confirm how I show up to my team, peers, and leaders.
- From a personal branding standpoint, you can use the Navigate the How by connecting Confidence + Cooperation + Service + Purpose.
- Confidence key question – who are you?
- Cooperation key question – what relationships matter?
- Service key question – where are you helping?
- Purpose key question – why are you playing?
- As a leader, I use the formula to ensure the team’s purpose still makes sense, at least once a year, or when something big happens (like a reorganization).
E = Embrace the clock – overlaying a four quadrant to your calendar to always find break-through levels. Embracing the clock means ensuring you have confidence in what you need to achieve, cooperation to get it done, and service to provide what you deliver is of service to others, all wrapped up in purpose. Get creative with your calendar and see what breakthroughs you can achieve.
A few other breakthrough tidbits I took away as a leader include:
- Breakthrough confidence transcends other expectations, accepts fear, and identifies opportunities.
- Start with hearing about who you are, not the things you’ve done.
- Requires stress-testing the next level, walking into rooms you are not qualified for – putting yourself into make-or-break situations to develop for higher-level roles, projects, etc.
- You should demand (politely) entry into the rooms you deserve to be in based on the strength of your unacknowledged talent.
- You are not operating with breakthrough confidence if you only stand in rooms that fully accept you.
Now flip each of these on your team, mentees, etc., and see what you can do as a leader to lift them and help them grow their breakthrough confidence. There is much more to this book that will help you individually and as a leader. Take a read or listen and find your breakthrough.
Options for reading/listening: Hardcopy Book | Audible
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts if you choose to read or listen to this book.
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