3 Strategies for Effective Team Building and Leadership
You win/lose business based on many factors. However, leadership and building a great team is at the top. Without this, you may as well close your doors because your business will dry up.
Thankfully, leaders can have an edge if they are proactive in building and supporting teams. Here are 3 things that work according to my experience and the wisdom of successful leaders.
1-Leaders must build their relationships of trust and loyalty rather than fear or the power of their position.
I just witnessed a VP of sales making really good money resign their position because they were a dictatorial, demeaning and insensitive ass. They made numbers and had a good run, but in 2024 they behaved like it was the 1950’s. Apparently, they did not care who they hurt/crushed as long as numbers were good. It caught up to them and the team could no longer take it.
MJ had it down when he said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships,” Michael Jordan.
This leader was a fun person, very, very focused and could give 2 you know-whats about the “team.” Now gone, the company will pick up the pieces, repair the damage and hopefully find a leader who puts their team first.
2- Listen, listen and listen more.
Building on trust and respect, listening is in the top 3 things that I hear during my keynote Q&A. It is an art. It takes practice and it builds successful relationships and supports team building. Plus, when leaders listen to employees, they show that their opinions are valued and respected. This can make employees more likely to offer ideas that can help the organization, and it can also be key to resolving conflicts without making things worse. This is good!
Plus, people are much more willing to engage if they know they are being heard.
“An appreciative listener is always stimulating,” — Agatha Christie.
3- Encourage risk-taking.
Personally, and professionally, I have taken risks. Some of these risks could easily be described as extreme, crazy or risky. I agree and I alone made the final decision on what move(s) I wanted to take.
At work, I liked to push boundaries, often being told no, yes or wow by management in my efforts to grow business. I listened and would often “do my thing” as my gut told me, knowing that it often worked out. However, and this is a BIG however, as a leader, I still needed my manager to buy in. Be cool. Not fire me!
I had a simple response to my teams when an individual would ask me if they should do something to possibly get business. Evaluate, ask if the upside is worth it and then go for it. I’ve got your back. I’ve got your back, plus encourage risk-taking and more often than not, the risk was worth it.
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success,” – Arianna Huffington
I cannot think of an individual that I worked with who was successful and free of the emotional scars and mental anguish that comes from hard work. Risk, reward and the great unknown usually occur when we have leadership that allows us to fly. This is reflective within a team as well as others observing and some choosing to step further out of their comfort zone. When this occurs, great things can happen.
How is your leadership? Does your manager support team building? What are you doing/seeing that works? Let me know at scott@scottlesnick.com
Continue the Leadership Conversation
The ideas in this article are part of a broader conversation about leadership, employee retention, workplace AI, and organizational change. Scott helps organizations across healthcare, government, manufacturing, financial services, technology, human resources, safety, early childhood education, and professional associations develop stronger leaders and build more engaged workplaces.
Explore Scott’s keynote programs:
- Leadership Speaker – Build stronger leaders, improve communication, and create high-performing teams.
- Employee Retention Keynote Speaker – Strengthen engagement, reduce turnover, and build workplaces where employees want to stay.
- Workplace AI Speaker – Help leaders and employees prepare for the future of work while keeping people at the center of organizational success.
- Change Management Speaker – Equip leaders with practical strategies for navigating disruption and leading organizational change with confidence.
