A guest on an upcoming episode of the We Not Me podcast said something that stopped us cold.
He sees it everywhere: senior leadership teams that don’t collaborate. Teams that aren’t constructive, that are individualistic and ego-driven, with each member playing their own game in their own corner.
Ask the leader what they’re doing about it, and the same answer often comes back: “It’s not my job to babysit them.”
We used to call that leadership.
The job of a team leader is not to manage a collection of talented individuals. It is to turn them into a team. That means paying attention to how the group works together, not just what each person delivers.
Here’s the work. If you lead a team, sit on the balcony and watch the dance. Notice when the rhythm breaks: the meeting where nobody challenges, the decision that gets relitigated, the two people who quietly avoid each other. Then step in and say so. That’s not optional. That is the job.
Your role isn’t to referee the nursery. It’s to tap the capability your team is sitting on but hasn’t found yet.
Most senior teams have a gear they’ve never used. Finding it is on you.
Pia and Dan