LEADERSHIP

124 • LEADERSHIP
viduals. And when the solution is being implemented by a few
for the good of the whole, it is important to remember that
they are part of the team. Should things not work out as
planned, don’t allow them to take the heat for the team. By the
same token, when the implementation is successful, don’t allow
them to soak up all the praise. (If your organization is like
most, you probably won’t have to worry about that one; there
will be scant praise to soak up!) On teams made up of everyday
superheroes, the members hold themselves equally and mutually
accountable in all situations.
Using the Language of a Team—It’s not my idea or your idea, it’s
our idea or the idea. Leave all the personal, singular, possessive
pronouns out of your language and out of your thinking. To remind
yourself to use good team language and thinking, before
you enter team meetings, leave all your personal possessions in the
hallway—your personal possessive pronouns, that is. You’ll see an
immediate effect in your team’s attitude and behavior.
And while you’re leaving things in the hallway, leave all your buts
out there too. Replace them with ands. Which is better, “Yes I
heard what you said, and…” or, “Yes I heard what you said, but…”?
But negates everything that comes before it. When you replace but
with and, you raise trust and respect because the other person's
point of view is accepted rather than rejected out of hand. These
simple changes (implemented with genuine trust and respect) can
dramatically improve your leadership effectiveness.
Follow up on solution implementations carefully! You’ve
determined that the problem is an important one to solve, so
make sure that the intended solution is rapidly deployed and
that it achieves the desired results.