Tent-Time

Team cohesion is essential in high performance teams, it is the glue that binds individuals as one and it provides the resilience and confidence to overcome setbacks.

During my adventures, team cohesion is achieved at the end of each day through 'tent-time'. Once we are comfortable in our tent, I encourage my teams to openly share their thoughts and views on the day's progress, highlight any positive achievements and review our future milestones.

It is also an opportunity for anyone to raise any issues of concern or grievances! It is critical to deal with any grievances head on, seek resolution and then move on. Tent-time also provided some time to share experiences, learn a useful tip someone had uncovered during the day and to laugh at the day's tribulations.

Ultimately tent-time is about asking the question 'how can we improve?' - the single most important question any team can ask themselves.

How often do you set aside some 'tent-time' to ask yourself or your team how can we improve?

What is leadership?

There is no universally accepted definition of leadership; not least as it is not at all easy to define. But what is clear is that leadership is an essential element of management. There are many definitions of management, but put simply, it is the direction, coordination and control of assets. The exercise of management includes the process by which a manager makes decisions, impresses will on team members, and transmits intentions.

Management can be seen as consisting of three core elements; authority, responsibility and accountability.
Authority involves the legal right to enforce disciplinary measures. A manager may delegate authority, but not ultimate responsibility. This is liability and an obligation to answer to senior management/board members for the use of delegated responsibility, authority and resources. This includes the duty to act. The manager who delegates responsibility should grant sufficient authority to enable the individual to fulfil the role; while the individual remains accountable for his actions.

If we now look at the roles of managers we can identify three essential components namely decision-making, control and leadership.
For the effective manager the art of effective and timely decision-making is a key role, particularly with regard to major decisions that impact on organisational strategy. Minor decision-making should be delegated as far along the chain as possible, in line with the requisite experience, capability and capacity of the more junior manager.

Managers must also have continuing oversight, direction and coordination of their resources, although the detailed activity is often not undertaken directly and is a province of their team. Most activities within this area of responsibility should be delegated; however the reality is that many managers spend more time than they should undertaking control functions.

Leadership is the art of motivating and directing individuals into action to accomplish outputs. Leadership is ultimately based on interpersonal relations. It is natural and a learned ability, a skill, and a set of personal characteristics that influence people to take desired actions.

In simpler terms, you lead people; you manage things.

Leading for Ultimate Performance

Leadership excellence is the second most powerful human force in the world, the most powerful being love. Leadership excellence has shaped the world since the earliest days of mankind. Leadership is arguably the greatest single business performance and success factor; it impacts every area of an organisation. What is interesting about leadership is that it means different things to different people.

Some Current Thoughts on Leadership

Leadership is widely considered to be directly linked to business performance and a recent Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development survey explored this further:

- 91% believe there is a link between leadership training and organisational performance.
- 85% of the organisations were involved in some form of leadership development.

However,

- 8% believed that their leadership development activities were very effective.
- 31% felt their leadership activities were not very effective.

Surprised ?

Research suggests that whilst the majority agree there is a direct link between training and performance, yet many have had an experience that has not satisfied their expectations and many still believe there is a shortage of highly effective leaders.

To Lead of Follow

Having spent over two decades in positions of formal leadership as an Officer in the Royal Marines, and as a Polar Explorer and management consultant I am aware of the importance and value of leadership to any team, and any organisation. It is critical to success. However, it is the implementation and how an individual delivers leadership that is important. In terms of peak performance teams, leadership becomes and even more critical element of team dynamics and can make the difference between an average team and one that really does deliver extraordinary results time and time again.

I call this style of leadership within a peak performance context – Leadershift©. In order to embrace the philosophy of Leadershift it is important to have a brief overview of some of the fundamentals of management. This understanding will put Leadershift© into context and enable you to embrace the art much more effectively.

What is Management?
There are many definitions of management, but put simply. It is the direction, coordination and control of business assets. It has a legal status codified in Companies Act (and other legislation) with the exercise of management including the process by which a manager makes decisions and impresses his will on, and transmits his intentions to his staff.

The Elements of Management

1. Authority
Authority involves the legal right to enforce disciplinary action. Although a manager may delegate specific authority, he retains overall responsibility.

2. Responsibility
Responsibility involves liability and obligation to answer to senior management/board members for the proper use of delegated responsibility, authority and resources; it includes the duty to act

3. Accountability
Therefore the manager who delegates responsibility should grant sufficient authority to enable the individual to fulfill the role, meanwhile the individual remains accountable to his immediate report for his actions.

The Roles of Management

If we look at the roles of managers we can identify three key areas of responsibility:

1. Control
Managers must have continuing oversight, direction and coordination of the organisations resources, although the detailed activity is often a subordinate aspect and a province of junior staff. Most activities within this area of responsibility should be delegated; however the reality is that many managers spend more time than they should undertaking Control functions.

2. Decision-Making
For the effective manager the art of effective and timely decision-making is a key role, particularly with regard to major decisions that impact on organisational strategy. Minor decision-making should be delegated to the lowest level possible in line with requisite experience, capability and capacity of the junior manager.

3. LeadershipManagement is also about leadership and the art of motivating and directing personnel into action to accomplish outputs is a fundamental requirement of any successful manager.

Leadership takes many forms and much has been written about the subject, but it still remains one of the least understood and misused skill within the manager’s toolbox.