Recently, someone asked me a really good question. It was,

"What do you believe, based on your experience of working with hundreds of organizations in all different countries and cultures, what is the #1 goal for a CEO?"

Without thinking, the answer I gave was to have high performing teams that deliver results time and time again. I really do believe this because I think it is a massive challenge.

The more I reflect upon my answer, the more accurate I think it is. The key part of that answer is "time and time again". You can get lucky every now and then but consistently high results is what you are looking for. Consistency is critical to long term success.

On this podcast I share with you:

• What is it that makes up a high performing team?
  • Right people in the right roles.
  • The team is fully aligned on vision and objectives.
  • The team is working together the right way.
• The team needs to culturally fit, one with the other – this is not about being the same as each other, as that is dangerous.
• Leaders set the tone for what behavior is acceptable or not and should not tolerate members who do not fit in the team.
• Lack of alignment at the top results in inconsistency throughout the organization.
• Most of the disappointments in the organizations have been caused by how teams have worked or not worked together.
• Constantly review successes and disappointments, and learn from them in order to go forward.
• Soft skills (behavior, trust, accountability) are every bit as important as hard skills.

Don't undermine yourself as a leader by tolerating the wrong people on the bus. If you don't have the right people, you've got to do something about it.

Get fully aligned on what you all are trying to achieve. Make sure everyone is clear on the vision, mission, purpose, strategy and operational priorities.

Finally, focus on how you work together as a team. Because it will propel you forward to become a really high performing team.

So, I challenge you to have a look at your team and ask yourself, as a leader, these questions:

• Have you got the right people?
• Are they fully aligned?
• How are they working together?
• What can you do to actually make your team significantly better?