If you are leading a team, evaluating your teams capability is essential.

This week, Felicity & Brett dive into how do evaluate discuss the question of whether or not teams are ready for leadership roles and responsibilities. Furey mentioned that this is a question CEOs often worry about, and Bassett agreed that it can keep him up at night.

He believes in evaluating team performance on an ongoing basis and bases his evaluation on the outcome of large projects and crises. Bassett encourages leaders to think of this question in a positive sense, and to use it as a way to motivate themselves and their teams. Overall, the two discussed the importance of proper preparation and training for teams in order to ensure their success.

Brett believes that if something goes well, the team should get the credit and if something goes wrong, it is the leader's fault. He has found this to be true in his experience in various organizations. His belief is that the leader should take responsibility for the team's performance, looking at what is missing or what could make a difference. He encourages leaders to be empowered and to give their team enough space to grow and succeed. Brett views leadership as a responsibility and a reflection of how well a team performs.

The conversation between Brett and the other person focused on the difference between sports and business when it comes to performance and leadership. They discussed how, in sports, the board or fans look to the captain on the field when a team isn't performing well, while in business, it is harder to set goals.

They agreed that culture starts at the top and if the culture is not good, it will pervade the team. The other person shared their experience of being an emerging leader and wanting to control things, while Brett shared his experience of failing as a leader of a team. They concluded that rescuing can stop growth within the team and that the leader needs to be accountable for stepping away or bringing somebody else in.

Felicity shared her personal experience of giving volunteers too much freedom and it ended up leading to them all quitting. He learned from this that the team was capable and that the leader needs to have a balance of giving the vision and some boundaries, while also giving them freedom.

Brett discussed an important lesson he learned early on in his career: the importance of reflection. He takes 30 minutes on Friday afternoons to assess how he and his team have performed and write down his thoughts. He also discussed how a leader can contribute to the downfall of a team by not encouraging a safe space for conflict. He explained how creating an environment where people feel comfortable expressing different opinions and challenging each other in a respectful way is key for a high performing team.