Transforming Teams: Turning Average Teams into Exceptional Ones
In any organization, effective leadership is a significant factor in a company's success, but it's not the sole determinant. Like other things we will discuss in future communications, the quality of the team is essential in determining the outcome of projects, initiatives, and the company's overall performance. However, not all teams start as high-performing, and it takes much intentionality of work, and development to reach that level. Many teams may start being average at best, struggling with collaboration, communication, and achieving consistent results. The challenge for leaders is to transform these average teams into exceptional ones—teams that not only meet expectations but exceed them. This transformation is not only possible but necessary in today’s competitive business environment.
As markets evolve and expectations rise, the ability of a team to adapt, innovate, and consistently deliver becomes a critical factor in an organization's long-term success. It is human nature for people to tend to become complacent, and that is a dangerous zone when allowed.
In this article, we’ll explore a few proven strategies for turning average teams into exceptional ones, with a special focus on how effective leadership can serve as the driving force behind this transformation. Whether you're leading a small project team or a large department, these insights will provide you with the tools and mindset needed to elevate your team’s performance and set them on a path to sustained excellence.
The Importance of Exceptional Teams
Exceptional teams drive innovation, efficiency, productivity, and much more. They are adaptable, resilient, and capable of tackling the most complex challenges with creativity, determination, and accountability. Research consistently shows that high-performing teams are critical to organizational success:
Productivity Boost: According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, high-performing teams are 40% more productive than their average counterparts. This productivity translates to faster project completion, better use of resources, and higher profit margins.
Employee Satisfaction: Gallup reports that employees who work in high-performing teams are more engaged, with 59% of team members in high-performing teams reporting high levels of engagement compared to just 11% in low-performing teams.
Innovation: A report by McKinsey & Company found that teams that are well-coordinated and collaborative are 3.5 times more likely to be innovative than average teams. Innovation, in turn, drives business growth and competitiveness.
Transforming Average Teams into Exceptional Ones: Strategies for Success
Fostering a Strong Team Vision
The foundation of any exceptional team is a shared vision. This vision should not just be a lofty goal set by leadership but a collective aspiration that every team member is invested in and capable of doing things beyond their imagination. A strong team vision aligns everyone’s efforts, creating a sense of PURPOSE and DIRECTION.
Leadership Application: Effective leaders play a crucial role in helping the team develop and articulate this vision. They involve the team in the vision-setting process, ensuring that it resonates with everyone. By prioritizing the team’s needs and aspirations, servant leaders influence that the vision is something the team genuinely believes in and is committed to achieving. Even when a small group may try to influence the environment otherwise.
Cultivating Trust and Psychological Safety
Trust is the bedrock of any high-performing team. When team members trust each other, they are more likely to communicate openly, share ideas, and collaborate effectively. Psychological safety, where team members feel safe to take risks and express themselves without fear of judgment, is equally important.
Leadership Application: Effective leaders build trust by being transparent, consistent, and empathetic. Trust is earned with time by the things you do. They create an environment where team members feel valued and respected, fostering psychological safety. This allows team members to innovate, take risks, and engage in healthy conflict, all of which are crucial for team growth and success.
Emphasizing Continuous Learning and Development
Exceptional teams don’t get stagnant; they are always learning and evolving. This culture of continuous improvement ensures that the team remains adaptable and capable of meeting new challenges head-on. From my experience in different corporate and non-corporate working environments, this concept of continuous development is not intuitive for most team members and requires deliberate guidance from leadership. Many teams tend toward complacency.
Leadership Application: Effective leaders prioritize the personal and professional growth of their team members. They provide learning opportunities, whether through formal training, mentorship, or on-the-job experiences. By focusing on the development of their team, leaders ensure that the team is equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel and continue to challenge themselves to higher levels.
Encouraging Collaboration and Cross-Functional Interaction
Collaboration is a hallmark of high-performing teams. When team members work together effectively, leveraging each other’s strengths, the team as a whole becomes more capable and productive. Cross-functional interaction, where team members engage with other departments or teams, further enhances collaboration and innovation. There is no easy path to reach this stage and it takes significant intentionality, time and adjusting along the way. When it happens, the outcomes are magical!
Leadership Application: Effective leaders facilitate collaboration by removing barriers to communication and cooperation. They encourage team members to share their expertise and work together on complex problems. Additionally, leaders promote cross-functional interaction by building bridges between departments and creating opportunities for collaboration across the organization.
Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
Clear goals provide a roadmap for the team, helping them understand what success looks like and how to achieve it. When team members know what is expected of them, they can focus their efforts more effectively, leading to better outcomes.
Leadership Application: Effective leaders work with the team to set clear, achievable goals that align with the team’s vision. They ensure everyone understands their role in achieving these goals and provide the support needed to align expectations. By setting clear goals, leaders help the team maintain focus and direction, even in the face of market changes, sudden challenges, and adjusting to different needs required to advance. The reality is leadership influence in achieving organizational goals is part of the process of maintaining periodic reviews and operational employee engagement activities.
Recognizing and Celebrating Success
Recognition is a powerful motivator but not all there is to it. When team members feel that their efforts are genuinely appreciated, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated. Celebrating success, whether big or small, reinforces positive behaviors and fosters a culture of achievement.
Leadership Application: Effective leaders make it a point to recognize and celebrate the contributions of their team members. They acknowledge individual achievements as well as team successes, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages continued excellence. This recognition can take many forms, from public praise to more tangible rewards, depending on what resonates with the team and others.
Promoting Resilience and Adaptability
In today’s fast-paced business environment, RECILIANCE and ADAPTABILITY are crucial for team success. Exceptional teams are not only capable of handling change but thrive in it. They become quick to pivot, learn from setbacks, and find new ways to achieve their goals and stay cutting-edge.
Leadership Application: Effective leaders help their teams build resilience by fostering a growth mindset and providing the tools and support needed to adapt to change. They encourage the team to view challenges as opportunities for growth and to learn from every experience, both positive and negative. By promoting resilience, effective leaders ensure that the team can weather any storm and come out stronger.
The Impact of Leadership on Team Transformation
Effective leadership plays a crucial role in transforming average teams into exceptional ones. By prioritizing the needs of the team, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment, and focusing on long-term growth, leaders create the conditions necessary for team excellence. The servant leadership styles are unique in building high levels of trust and loyalty within the team but also encourage each member to take ownership of their role in the collective success.
Employee Retention: According to a study by the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, companies that embrace servant leadership practices see a 50% reduction in employee turnover. This is particularly important for maintaining team continuity and cohesion.
Team Performance: Research published in the Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies found that teams led by servant leaders outperform those led by traditional leaders by 23% on average. This performance boost is attributed to the higher levels of engagement, trust, and collaboration fostered by servant leadership.
Transforming an average team into an exceptional one is a complex and challenging process, but it is well within reach for organizations committed to excellence. Success in this endeavor requires more than just surface-level changes; it demands a deep, intentional shift in how the team operates and interacts. By focusing on key strategies such as fostering a strong team vision, cultivating trust, emphasizing continuous learning, and promoting collaboration, leaders can unlock the full potential of their teams. These efforts, when sustained and reinforced, can lead to a shift in team culture, where high performance becomes the norm, and each team member is empowered to contribute their best work consistently.
Servant leadership principles are the ideal approach for this transformation. By putting the needs of the team first, providing support and guidance, and creating an environment where every team member can thrive, servant leaders pave the way for team success. The result is not just a high-performing team but a team that is resilient, innovative, and capable of driving the organization forward. The true power of servant leadership lies in its ability to create a culture of shared ownership and purpose, where the collective strength of the team drives the organization forward, even in the face of challenges.
Join the Conversation
How have you seen a transformation in your organization? What strategies have you found most effective in turning average teams into exceptional ones? Let’s build a community of leaders committed to team excellence.
We are ready to serve you!
Ricardo Molina
RM Leadership Academy