"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." Henry Ford.

Introduction

Translating will to action can be challenging. How often do projects fail at the planning stage, or teams break down despite the goal being admirable? Being able to translate your leadership vision into action means being able to work with teams, understand your resources, and using your will.

Teams need...

Please note:

Translating will to action can be challenging
People have immense potential and also their own unique ways of understanding which must be respected – even if you disagree!
Leadership always starts with the future you want to see
Your impact and influence on others comes through your relationships
Delivery through others is about engaging with and having "crucial" and effective conversations

Connect to the programme

During the program you experienced many opportunities to engage with leadership working within a team, including interacting with your homegroup, developing presentations, and carrying out challenges like the blindfold obstacle course...

Thinking back, which of these exercises did you find the most challenging? Why?

10/10/10 – Doing, Reflecting, Connecting

Doing – physical activity: Often, effective teamwork is about listening, but also asking the right questions. Try thinking about the following before asking questions in a team environment:

What is my intent or purpose in asking a question or providing feedback?
Timing – Is this the right time?
Awareness – Will it raise awareness?
Relationship – How will this affect our relationship?
Responsibility – Does it maintain mutual responsibility?

Reflecting – thinking, meditating: Think a team that you're part of – Is there anything that you would like to...

Stop?
Do more of?
Do less of?
Do differently?

What needs to change within the team for this to happen?

Connecting – singing, speaking, sharing with others: Share your experiences with your homegroup on your Facebook page.
• What happened when you considered the different ways of thinking about questions in a team environment?
• What effects did you notice in the team? In yourself?

Close

Understanding how to work effectively in teams is a key attribute that we see in many of the leaders that we admire. Leadership is not solely about having a vision, but also understanding how to get there (indeed, often how you get there is just as important as the final destination!).

Michael, WYSE ILP 2003 shared with us his most favoured team experience: When I was younger, every year for my parents anniversary my siblings and I would prepare a "restaurant quality" meal for my long-suffering parents. In the early years when we were aged between 7 and 10, you should have seen the mess we made and the arguments we had trying to get the meal finished. It amazes me to think of how we grew as a team by time the we were finishing high school. Everyone one was valued and celebrated for their unique skills (whether drawing up the menu, or making deserts), and our communication was open and honest (most of the time), as we were all aligned on the positive goal of making our parents feel valued.