The Unified Team

What does it take to lead?

To lead others we have to be able to tap into something in them. We have to have the empathy and sensitivity to see how what we do impacts them. We have to have the self awareness to adapt and adjust what we do, based on the feedback we get.

Our ability to lead others comes from our awareness of who we are.

There are lots of personality tests and tools to find strengths and values. But every strength also has a shadow. A context in which it becomes a limitation.

If all we have is a basic set of tools, we will only succeed while the environment fits those tools.

Mastery is being able to operate in any environment. That means deeply knowing our self. Even more than knowing who we are, is where that self is limiting.

Many entrepreneurs build success through chaos, but destroy it when it needs order.

None of us are perfect. We are all flawed. We just need to know and accept our own flaws.

Clark Ray, Tony Walmsley and I discussed the importance of knowing yourself.

And especially the quirks and flaws you don't want to admit.

How do we inspire others to achieve great things?

Saurabh Debnath was on course to achieve his lifelong goal of representing India at cricket. That is to be one of 11 in a country with a 1.4bn population. That is a 1 in 127 million chance.

Yet Saurabh was on course to hit it.

By 18 he'd played for three years in the Ranji trophy as a fast bowler. He'd been selected to represent the best team, Mumbai. But then disaster struck and he injured his wrist.

He switched his focus to his studies and graduated with an MBA.

His first job out of Uni had him managing a product with an 800 strong team. This is someone who sets big goals and goes after them full pelt. And now this is what he teaches others to do.

His first book teaches how to use the 80/20 principle to make more impact with less effort.

He consults with organisations to help them achieve audacious goals together. And he mentors individuals to stretch towards the great things they want to achieve.

Do you remember the story of the three little pigs?

They each built a house. But only one built one that was strong enough to withstand the big, bad wolf. That saved the day.

When you build a house, you dig down to lay strong foundations.

These are what give a house its strength. And so when gale force winds and even hurricanes come, the house can often sustain the force. The strength of a house lays in solid foundations.

In people, the same is true.

We have strength, skills and capacity. But they are dependent on the foundations of how we nourish and supply our energy. Our emotional wellbeing is our foundation.

It is the strength we can draw from.

Happy and healthy we can operate at full capacity. But when we drain energy without refilling it, we run out and burn out. Just as we need to eat, we need emotional nourishment too.

Branka Pestar Hajšek grew up angry and experiences in her teens made her confront her emotions.

Since then she's been on a journey to understand emotions and help people listen to them. She's found a richer, happier life through developing her emotional intelligence. And now she teaches others to do the same.

We had a deep conversation about emotions.

How we both perceive them. How we process them. And how they affect our relationships and work.

The problem with men is...

As a relationship coach I heard the problems of trying to date and relate to men. Sit in a coffee shop or a bar and you'll often hear women talking about men and their shortcomings. The media tells us about toxic masculinity.

What's clear is men are struggling.

With relationships. Depression. And suicide.

The world has changed and there's a section of men who aren't adapting with it.

Some of them go online to make sense of their situations. Andrew Tate and co tell them they need to dominate their women. The Red Pill and Incel movements tell them they are victims of an unfair world.

It's a problem that affects the individuals, their relationships, workplaces and society.

In this episode we tried to unravel what is the real issues making men feel like this. What are the gaps that are leaving women feeling unfulfilled in their relationships. And how can we navigate through this time of change without leaving angry and broken men behind.

Thanks to Clark Ray and Tony Walmsley for bringing some light to this critical issue.

How do you answer what do you do?

It's a question that many of us hate because we often don't have a concise answer. It might involve a label that limits us. And it doesn't cover the range of how we do, what we do and makes us special.

At best, it's limiting and at worst it's confusing.

Today is a special episode of The Unified Team Podcast.

It's a milestone as it is the 100th episode and my guest is possibly the nicest man on Linkedin.

Eduardo was one of my earliest connections on Linkedin. Yet, I never approached him because I didn't see a clear topic to discuss. He is one of those people who are hard to pigeonhole.

🤹‍♂️ Husband and father.

🤹‍♂️ Ex-Pat.

🤹‍♂️ Technology leader.

🤹‍♂️ Coach.

🤹‍♂️ Linkedin Creator.

🤹‍♂️ Author.

🤹‍♂️ App Developer.

🤹‍♂️ Book Reader and Reviewer.

🤹‍♂️ Speaker.

🤹‍♂️ And currently available for another Technology Leadership role.

We talked about growing through pursuing your interests. About developing a portfolio career. And about how his wide range of interests add to what he can bring to his team.

I have a dream...

With those four words Martin Luther King focused a movement on a dream they could all commit to. Campaigners could unite around the idea of all being equal. It was the core premise they all agreed and identified with.

Whether our team is a sports team, social movement or corporate team we need a vision.

It is the vision that frames every interaction. Every relationship. And it is what guides their decisions.

Done right, it connects to something inside each team member feels and how they see themself.

This link between the vision of the collective and the identity of the individual is the core thread. The strength of the team bond comes from this thread.

In this episode...

Thomas Courts

Tony Walmsley

...and I discussed vision and identity. With examples ranging from football tribalism to national patriotism. How do we engage and emotionally connect everyone to the mission?

Engage, empower and educate!

That's Chris Cotter's strategy for getting teams to work together.

Chris visited Japan as a Graduate and never returned. Working as a language teacher he ended up running a language school. Then he moved to a tech startup building a language learning app.

This was where he developed his thinking about developing teams.

Coming from the United States to Japan, from individualism to a collectivist culture. Chris believes if you engage, empower and educate your team they'll perform at their best. In this episode he shared his thoughts.

Listen in to hear his story and philosophy of getting teams to perform.

How can you support your team through change?

Change is the norm now. Organisations are almost permanently making some change or another. It's an upheaval while still trying to keep business as normal.

How can you get your team through the process?

I asked two Change Management Experts for their tips.

Listen in to today's Unified Team Podcast to see what Daniel Lock and Lisa Cunningham DeLauney had to say.

All of us have been sold a lie!

Be a good boy or girl and do well at school. Put your head down at work. And then you'll get your reward and be happy.

It isn't what happens.

It's why we have mid-life crises. It's why people are turning their back on corporate life to brunch out for themselves. The default model doesn't work out.

It was a lie to make you work for other people's goals.

Annika Mohlin 🌱 like many, followed the rules. Worked hard and moved up the ladder. But one day she realised it wasn't working for her.

With a Coach she found a path to happiness and fulfilment.

And now, she gets her joy from supporting others through the same transition. She helps them break free from the mould. And recreate who they want to be with her Own Your Journey.

In today's episode Annika shared her journey with me.

Links in profile and comments to video and podcasts.

Life exists in tension.

Everything we do, is done along a spectrum of tension.

Conflicting goals create tension. Leadership is about managing those tensions.

Managers want to create a psychologically safe environment.

Yet, there is a natural tension with the fear of failure and not performing. When you give a speech, prepare a bid or create something it could fail. That fear is at the root of what drives us to perform.

Some of the greatest sportsmen have spoken about the fears that drive them to success.

Managers don't create this fear, but they have to manage the tension. At the end of the day we go to work to perform. And if we don't perform jobs are lost and companies fail.

So Leaders can't remove the fear completely or they lose the tension to perform.

You create the safest environment you can. You give people the confidence, competence and connection to take risks. But you cannot protect them from the reality of results.

In the end, we have to perform and that determines our results and career success.

And that is scary for all of us. But that's life. From the Savannah to the boardroom.

Today's podcast episode talks about managing this tension to get your team to perform with...

Clark Ray

Thomas Courts

Tony Walmsley - Performance Specialist