“If you want to go fast go alone, If you want to go far go together.” African Proverb

I confess, I am kind of impatient. Especially when I drive. I am sure you don’t ever get frustrated with slow people when you drive. It couldn’t be because I’m in a hurry!

I am sure you never get in “discussions” with the person next to you on a road trip. I do because I think if I do it then it will get done faster. Except for when I do it wrong, and if I listened to the passenger beside me, I probably would have gotten a lot further because they knew the path to get where we were going.

This is no different than how we often approach building a team. . . . or not building it. Yes, we may go fast alone, but to go far we need a team. Building a team can be hard. Join me as I share a few ideas on how to do this.

Build

A group of individuals cannot become a team without a clear vision for where they are going. The passenger in my car can’t help navigate if they don’t know where we are going. As the leader, your first job is to paint the picture of where you are going. Another way to put it, give them vision.

We need to paint the picture for the team and help each individual see their role on the team. Let’s look at the road trip for a minute. You are the driver, the person beside you is the navigator, and maybe the children share roles such as “entertainer” or “food provider.” All these roles help each individual see their part in the vision as you build the team.

Engage

As the leader you can paint the best picture in the world, but if the team members don’t trust you it falls flat. Not long ago I was talking to an individual who had retired from an organization. He had mentioned that toward the end of his time there when he saw an e-mail from the top leader he just got angry.

Why?   He did not trust or respect the leader.

In order to build an engaged team, one important element is building trust. Here is one idea on how to develop trust. Take time with those you lead and listen. When people feel heard and seen this goes a long way to building trust with your team.

Lead

You are the leader so you get that leading is a part of building a team, but let me suggest an idea you may not have thought of. Provide your team members opportunities to grow and lead themselves.

Like the quote at the top, it may feel faster to do it alone, but what if you spend time equipping and training members of your team? This frees you to focus on the next opportunity, and in the meantime, you will be helping team members feel valued and energized because of the opportunity to grow.

Leading is not just telling the team what to do, but also investing in them to help them grow to their full potential. In the process, you will help them see a vision of where they can be and strengthen trust in you because they know you care about them personally.

How are you doing in each of these areas? Is there one you need to focus on more than others? Want to dive deeper into these three keys and two more? Check out the Build, Engage, Lead Masterclass bundle with resources to help you grow your team and yourself. Lead Well.

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