Strategic Leadership Teams

In this series of articles on Strategic Leadership, I have discussed strategic leadership in general and have also explored the nature of strategic thinking. I then moved on to a consideration of strategic acting – or execution, followed by a focus on Strategic Influence. The aspect of Strategic Leadership that I am moving on to is the Strategic Leadership Team.

Picture
A strategic leadership team (SLT) is one whose work has strategic implications for the organization, the division, the product line or the business unit. The easiest way to think about it is to ask this question: “Is the work of the team in the service of the long-term success of the organization?” If the answer is “Yes”, then you are looking at an SLT. The team might be involved in developing the next generation of products in an innovative company; the team might be charged with the design and implementation of a continuous improvement process; or it might be charged with redesigning the organization’s inbound and outbound logistics model.SLTs tend to be project-driven and consequently have a limited lifespan. They most often have as their members people from all levels of the organization – not just members of senior management. SLTs are successful when:   
  1. They have a meaningful, concrete purpose.
  2. They have tangible performance goals.
  3. The right mix of skills is present – regardless of the formal position of the members.
  4. The time commitment is manageable (since members are often members of operational teams as well).
  5. There is mutual accountability.
  6. They have time on their side – since it takes time to energize and align teams.

You might want to support the development of the SLTs on which you serve by having them consider the following:

  1. What is the team’s purpose?
  2. What value does the team provide to the organization? (Would the organization miss the team if it suddenly disbanded?)
  3. How does the team help the organization to ensure its competitive advantage in its industry?
  4. How would you know if the team has been successful? How will it measure its success? How do these measures align with the team’s purpose?
  5. In what ways are the team members interdependent? Could you and the team members operate independently and still be successful in the work of the team? If so, how? If not, why not?
  6. Describe two or three ways in which this team makes a significant impact on other organizational units.

Having asked these questions, what have you learned about your Strategic Teams? What contribution could you make to enhancing their impact?

Strategic Leadership Team Review

Using the following rating scale, evaluate your Strategic Leadership Team in preparation for a series of development discussions:

4 = strongly agree

3 = agree to some extent

2 = disagree to some extent

1 = strongly disagree

  1. This SLT regularly and honestly evaluates its strengths and weaknesses.
  2. This SLT is clear on the threats and opportunities that exist in the external environment and responds effectively.
  3. This SLT has a shared vision of the future.
  4. People at all levels of the organization understand how their roles support the organization’s mission and vision.
  5. This SLT stays up-to-date on technological, cultural and market trends.
  6. This SLT is clear on its basic purpose and core values.
  7. This SLT thinks globally.
  8. This SLT encourages continuous improvement, setting the example by experimenting with new and different ways of doing things.
  9. There are few undiscussable subjects in this SLT.
  10. Different opinions are welcome.
  11. This SLT is clear on what we will do and clear on what we will not do.
  12. This SLT works well together.
  13. The membership of this SLT is diverse in terms of the range of talents available.
  14. This SLT shares information well with one another.
  15. Members of this SLT have constructive communication with teams and individuals throughout the organization.
  16. This SLT actively supports executive growth and development.
  17. Getting ahead in this organization depends on performance and not politics.
  18. This SLT strikes an appropriate balance between its focus on short-term and long-terms needs.
  19. This SLT encourages an appropriate level of risk-taking.
  20. This SLT does not waste its own or the energy of others on unproductive activities.
  21. Members of this SLT trust and respect one another, and display a high level of integrity.
  22. This SLT fosters cooperation rather than competition across organizational units.
  23. Individuals and teams in this organization share best practices.
  24. I am proud of how this SLT handles issues relating to ethics.
  25. There is positive energy and a sense of excitement around here.

Once you and the team have completed the evaluation, it is useful to considering the following questions:

  1. On which items are you performing well?
  2. On which items would you like to perform better? By when (meaning when will you conduct this evaluation again)?
  3. What are your priorities (rank the improvement items in order of importance and in the order in which they will be tackled)?
  4. What will you do to effect an improvement in your first priority?
  5. When will you review actions and improvements?
  6. What will you tackle next and when?

In subsequent discussions, you could work with items 4, 5 and 6, until you have addressed all the items and are ready to evaluate the team once again.

Imagine how you could the improvement in team effectiveness across the whole organization if teams in your business conducted this sort of review from time to time!  Let me know of your progress by using the contact form below.


In the next article in this series, we address the nature of strategy as a process of on-going learning and improvement.

Recommended Reading:

“Becoming a Strategic Leader” by Richard L. Hughes and Katherine Colarelli Beatty (ISBN 0-7879-6867-6)
“The New Strategic Thinking” by Michael Robert (ISBN 0-07-146224-4)
“Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan  (ISBN 0609610570)
“Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt (ISBN 978-1-84668-480-7
“The Work of Teams” by Jon R. Katzenbach (ISBN 0-87584-868-0)
HBR 10 Must Reads: On Change Management
HBR 10 Must Reads: On Strategy
HBR 10 Must Reads: On Teams