The leadership qualities you want on your dream team
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The starting place for building an effective "dream team" is in having a crystal clear picture of the qualities you want in the people.
If you were to make a list of the attributes you would want on the members of your leadership team you would likely include such characteristics as:
- Go-getter.
- Someone who 'makes it happen'.
- High achiever.
- Driven to perform.
- Results oriented.
If you were to assemble a team with these qualities there's a good chance this would be a group who could accomplish great things.
But I have consistently noticed a second set of qualities that I have come to consider essential on a "dream team." Certainly I value the "make it happen" people. But I can't escape the fact that there are other less obvious attributes I find that I look for.
On my dream team I love to see these 10 less celebrated leadership qualities:
- They are ready to engage, before the stated starting time of the meeting.
- In every conversation they focus on the people, not their phone.
- They are "thanking machines." Gratitude oozes from them.
- They pitch in to help with any task.
- They're not workaholics, but they stay at it until the job is done.
- They respond promptly to emails and voicemails.
- They show the same courtesy and respect to the maintenance staff as they do the CEO.
- They show genuine interest in the personal lives of colleagues.
- They do what they say they will do.
- They stand up for their teammates.
Who do you want on your team?
What are the qualifications and qualities of the people you want sitting around your leadership table?
As you build your team, by all means make sure you are finding leaders who are driven to achieve goals. But make sure they carry some of these less obvious qualities too.
Because when you combine these qualities with the results-oriented characteristics from the first list, you'll be building a team with an unbeatable leadership combination.
 | Scott Cochrane serves on the executive team for the Willow Creek Association, as Vice President, International Ministries. He was born and raised in Canada, where he became connected to the Willow Creek Association, first as a marketing director and later as the ministry’s Chief Operating Officer. Following a five-year stint as Executive Pastor of a large church, Scott returned to Willow Creek Canada in 2009 as Executive Director, and in 2012 relocated to Illinois to take up his current post with the Willow Creek Association. Learn More » |
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