Organizational Results: Field the Best-Possible Leadership Teams

Jan 10, 2010

Kendall L. Stewart, M.D.

It would be great if all of us were equally effective leaders. That is just not the case. Some leaders are truly exceptional. Some are awful. Most of us are more-or-less average. Given this reality, every leader is obligated to field the best leadership team possible throughout the organization. This imperative is the most important test of leadership. It is not easy. Every leader is a legend in the leader’s own mind. Every person who has a leadership job believes that he or she deserves to keep it. We all have reasonable excuses for not producing results. It’s never our fault.

1. Take a hard look at your current leadership teams. Ask yourself if you could do better. If you could, then you must. It’s that simple. Do not permit your discomfort to dissuade you from doing your duty.

2. Ask your colleagues whether you are obligated to field the best possible team. This question will get everyone thinking more clearly. It will force everyone to face the competitive reality that leaders are not all the same. It will remind everyone that leaders exist to produce results, and it will trigger the sobering realization that fielding the best-possible team is their duty too.

3. Trade up. You can give lip service to fielding the best possible teams, but no one will believe you unless you actually do it. If you tolerate mediocre leaders when better people are idling in the wings, everyone will realize you are all talk. And your boss will be thinking about replacing you with a more effective leader.

How have you fielded the best possible leadership teams? What barriers did you overcome to accomplish this?

6 Comments

Leeann Sammons • Jan 10, 2010 @7:35 pm

I have attempted to field the best team by writing down the behaviors and qualities that I desire in a leader. Sometimes this list is not realistic so I usually end up going back and noting what I can and can’t live without. The challenge comes in finding a leader that has these qualities and can adapt to SOMC’s culture.
decampv • Jan 11, 2010 @7:20 am

This was really thought provoking. It made me uncomfortable. I do try to look for consistency, calmness and grace under pressure.
Vicki Noel • Jan 11, 2010 @8:19 pm

This is one of the most difficult challenges I have had to face in my career..especially when the leader(s)is a wonderful person yet ineffective. Like any performance issue it is important to clarify your expectations with the ineffective leader, provide coaching and guidance on improvement opportunities, and document those conversations. But when it gets down to it, they have to make the improvements. I believe that “unreasonable guilt” gets in the way of us fielding the best leadership team – “I could have done more to help them” “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough”. Consistency, clarity and proper documentation, for me, is the best way to break down the “guilt barrier” that tries to stand in the way of fielding the best leadership team.
Shawn K. Jordan • Jan 14, 2010 @8:21 am

As a “newbie” to leadership, I have found it valuable to field feedback from others on what makes an effective leader and use that to guide me. Difficult decisions come when those attributes are vacant in your current leadership team. Coaching and mentoring to those open to constructive feedback and willingness to change has proven effective. However, change too has dealt a positive hand.
Andrea Zaph • Jan 15, 2010 @4:15 pm

The most difficult barrier I have encountered in fielding the best leadership team is differentiating between people who are exceptionally skilled technically and people who have exceptional people skills. In my opinion, a perfect leader would possess both of these qualities. Unfortunately, I don’t know if that person exists. Growing as a leadership team requires coaching with honest feedback that is documented and ongoing regardless of how uncomfortable it is; holding each other accountable for making the best decisions possible based on consistent criteria – is this the best decision for our department, for SOMC, and most importantly, for our patients; treating each other with dignity and respect; and making changes when necessary. I will say that being a part of a supportive leadership team that is dedicated to making a difference for patients and staff is an extremely rewarding experience.
Kendall L. Stewart • Jan 16, 2010 @1:54 pm

Andrea, you make several outstanding points.
Effective leadership is about a lot more than just finding the best-possible people.
When you have fielded the best-but-still-flawed team, you must find ways to help them succeed.
That’s how leaders produce exceptional results using average people.
And the fact is, half of us are below average.