Leadership in a healthy professional setting requires respectful collaboration, clearly understood expectations and applause once in a while. Here is my approach. This is what I’ve done for over 20 years – rising in the architectural profession as designer, senior project manager, and leader of strategic transformational initiatives.
Brilliant Teams
Creative people work best when the rationales and challenges facing the team are fully communicated. Everyone becomes better able to more fully and independently carry their tasks forward.
Magical things happen when the team sits shoulder to shoulder. Everyone becomes a mentor. For dedicated full time team efforts there is a leap in productivity when, to the greatest extent possible, team members see what one another is working on and hear one another’s phone conversations. This is a seamless way of keeping current and engaged. Moving people to form teams increases churn rate costs, but the benefit of putting team members adjacent to one another is invaluable. Investing in office furniture systems “on wheels” is the strategic secret to making this an effective office management strategy.
Put these two thoughts together: 1) Good ideas don’t care where they came from and 2) Everyone is seeking fulfillment. Effective team leaders generously give ownership for success to their team members at every opportunity.
“One-Minute Manager” techniques form great daily patterns for keeping up the energy, exchanging ideas, providing clarity and feedback, and then moving on fairly quickly. Punctuating this with as needed quick stand up team meetings goes a long way to keeping team focus on the priority issues and targeted on effective conclusion. Put it all together and everyone on the team moves through their day at their highest potential with their creativity fully invested in the project. The outcome is brilliant work – way beyond the additive abilities of the members of the team.
Adaptability
Strategies that harness the brilliance of the group depend on team size, capabilities and the tasks at hand. Leadership challenges are ever present. Adaptation to more effective paths is always required.
Lead by example with integrity, vision and passion
Great things happen when creative people perform with personal vision and passion. A strong leader creates energy and enthusiasm for success. The best way to do that is to live it. Bring personal vision and passion to the work and it will be reflected back to you by all that you work with.
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