How I’m Supporting My Team by Finding Magic at the Seams

Over the past year and a half, we’ve all had to learn how to be much more flexible than we ever imagined. Although some of those new demands now feel routine, it’s clear that plenty of change is still coming our way. My experience as a leader during this tumultuous time has validated lessons I’ve learned, both as an executive at HP and during the two decades I’ve coached basketball in my off hours. I’ve learned that the stronger a team is, the easier it is to respond to change with agility, grace and skill. I’ve learned that trust is the secret ingredient to a thriving team. And I’ve learned the importance of finding magic at the seams — which is my way of thinking about those small moments of inspiration, connection and leadership that bring a team together when times are tough, when they need to dig deep and meet whatever challenge comes their way. Here’s how I’ve put this into practice. 

Create a true team mentality

As any coach will tell you, a team is much greater than the sum of its parts. I am a strong believer that the only way for a team to succeed is to work as ONE team. Strength comes when team members help each other, going beyond the boundaries of their roles and making sure the different parts are aligned. But a true #ONETEAM mentality requires trust, and trust takes time to build. Still, certain approaches can go a long way to establishing an environment of trust from day one. There are two things I do to facilitate bringing a new team together or to build trust when I am the new one joining as a leader of an existing team:

• I like to use a fast-start workshop. The first time I meet a team, I introduce myself and give some key information: What are my values as a leader? What approach do I use to make decisions? What are my typical work hours? Do I prefer to communicate via text, phone, chat or email? Then I leave the room and allow the team members to talk among themselves, encouraging them to bring up any questions or issues that can then be shared as one big list anonymously. When we come back together, I address their concerns going through the entire list. This process has a way of unlocking dialogue and learnings that otherwise might take months — or even years! — to emerge. I use the discussion insights and take them into 1:1s with each of the team members as well.
• If possible, I have everyone take a team effectiveness survey. I use this as a baseline to see where we are as a team in terms of working together and then measure our progress every 6 months. I have done this in my last two roles, and it proved to be an effective and unifying tool for team discussion. 

Every player counts

A team is made of many moving parts. A basketball team has different people who excel at different positions, including those who come off the bench. A team with five point guards wouldn’t win, even if all the players were superstars. Leadership is about nurturing the differences among people, acknowledging what they all bring to the table. A diverse team is a strong team with players who all have a role to play with unique and complementary skills.

As a leader, I work to make sure that everyone feels included and supported. That can mean setting time aside during a brainstorming session to ask quieter employees for their input. It can also mean noticing when an employee is overloaded and enlisting others to come in and assist them. It means understanding what motivates each individual and personalizing feedback to help them improve, develop and feel recognized.

Reflect on wins — and losses, too

Great players learn just as much, if not more, from their losses as their wins. I want my teams to feel empowered to try new things, even when they might fail. I make sure to remind them that we’re shaped not just by our successes, but also by how we handle the challenges we meet along the way. I also aim to be transparent about my own less-than-successful moments. (I have plenty of them). This approach helps create an atmosphere of respect and authenticity, where team members feel both comfortable celebrating their wins and willing to take risks.

Make leadership a daily practice

Sports movies often focus on dramatic moments: the locker room speech at playoffs, the last seconds of a tied game, the half-time pep talk. But in my experience as a coach, true leadership reveals itself in smaller moments. That’s because leadership isn’t a grand gesture; it’s a series of daily, consistent actions. I think of this as micro-moment leadership, and it’s something I try to build into my workday.

For example, after one of my team members delivers an important presentation or facilitates a meeting, I will pull them aside and give them feedback right away. Whatever I say in that moment is going to be much more authentic — and have much greater impact — than anything I say in a performance review months later.

Teamwork got us through this difficult period. As we think about emerging into a new world, it’s time to double down on our efforts to connect, build trust and support one another. After all, the only constant is change — and strong, agile teams are what will get us through the next challenge, whatever it may be.