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Pixar’s Ed Catmull: ‘The director and other creative leaders of a production do not come up with all the ideas on their own; every single member of the production group makes suggestions. The leaders sort through a mass of ideas to find the ones that fit into a coherent whole.’
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At the 2010 Ryder Cup Colin Montgomerie was the leader in the European team room, firing up his men during daily meetings. But he was also the leader in choosing to step back and respect his players on the course by letting them do what they did best: play golf.
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As Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie took the courageous view that his five non-playing vice-captains (all of them winners of the 2002 trophy) helped syndicate, not threaten, his authority. He recognized the team would be more powerful if he did not have a monopoly over its leadership, an important lesson.
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Everyone in an SAS four-man unit is a potential leader: each member has specific skills – weapons, communications, medicine, engineering, sniper accuracy – vital for the mission. But if team members are captured, injured or killed, each has sufficient ability to take on any of those roles and to lead by example.
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The British Red Cross demonstrates real versatility in leadership style. As a major disaster unfolds, leaders adopt a more autocratic style, a style which their teams both appreciate and demand. Under time pressure there is simply not enough room for consensus. People want clarity about what they need to do.
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The Rolling Stones possess in their ranks two leaders whose different areas of operation – Mick as the charismatic front-man and focused organizer, Keith the musical soul and spirit (‘Mick’s Rock. I’m Roll’, says Keith) – delivers a constant creative, emotional, magnetic, magical tension that has powered the band for 50 years.
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Tony Blair understood from the outset that the Northern Ireland peace process required the commitment of other leaders, those of diametrically-opposed political parties. To deliver peace he had to transform these enemies into an effective team. Managing conflict and transforming it into better teamwork is a core leadership skill.
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To revive Ferrari’s flagging F1 fortunes, Luca di Montezemolo was an ideal leader. He shared the passion of the most ardent fan, but in balancing his love for the team with his acute business acumen, he realized that significant change was needed to reignite the tradition of winning at Ferrari.
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LEAD THE TEAMMain Menu
Team leadership is its own task. Leadership in teams covers three core responsibilities: 1) delivering team objectives, 2) building a cohesive and effective team; 3) managing and developing individual team member performance. The three are separate but related. As a team leader you need to juggle these three balls, and not drop any one of them.
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Team leaders go first and last. As team leader you are the architect of the team. You start with primary responsibility for all tasks of building and managing your team to deliver results. As well as going first you also remain fully, finally accountable for whether your team wins or loses. The buck stops with you.     
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Leaders flex their leadership style according to circumstances. Rather than having one preferred or dominant style, you need to be able to shift the way you lead between the four core styles of leadership to suit the current situation and the individuals on your team: Controlling, Coaching, Consulting and Collaborating.
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Control. At the beginning of a team’s life or your tenure as the team leader, when you do not yet have the insight into the team’s capabilities, the right approach is to exert authority and control. It is far easier to start tight and loosen control as needed.
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Coach. Where team members are more skilled, shift to guiding the team, giving critical advice at key moments. While coaching your whole team, remember you are first and foremost coaching people. Tailor your approach to each individual and their particular needs; find an approach that works for them.
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Consult. Have the confidence to recognize when and where you might not have the right answer. If you believe your team may know best, invite discussion and ask the right questions. You are looking to support your team and encourage them to take greater responsibility for future action.
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Collaborate. When the team is performing effectively, effective team leaders know when to get out of the way and hand over the remote control to the team. In this style of leadership, you will increasingly be collaborating as a first amongst equals in a web of mutual accountability.
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Create a team of leaders. Developing leaders across the team is developing a better team. The strongest teams are those in which more members inspire, support, challenge and hold each other accountable. Yet even in teams full of capable leaders you remain ultimately accountable. A leader’s work is never done.
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Leaders looking to turbocharge their teams need to establish a shared performance challenge that combines both the energy and hope embedded in an inspirational vision of the future and the real sense of urgency often associated with crisis. > Forge common purpose

The SAS contains individuals who are natural leaders and instinctive team players, who have enough self-confidence to rely on themselves and to take feedback from others, who are secure enough to ask for help and give help to others, who relish accountability rather than ducking it: true leaders of men.
> Pursue a quest for the best

Leaders are the architects of the team; focusing on keeping team as small as the mission allows, as flat as it can be and that all team members are clear about what is expected of each of them and how they fit together. > Shape the environment for success

Great leaders build trust in the team by going first and trusting the team. They focus on creating conditions where team members earn trust in each others abilities and learn to rely on each other. > Build cohesion

Empathy is a powerful component in the leadership toolkit, a political and personal skill: the ability to see the perspective of other people, to identify, understand and appreciate the positions of different, differing parties, both in terms of substance and emotions (and above all to be seen to do so). > Master conflict

If you are looking to change the way your team behaves, start by changing your own behaviour. Team leaders are role models and set the tone through actions more than words. Too much stress is placed on communication campaigns, posters and long speeches when actually management itself is the message.
> Adapt or die
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NAVIGATION
About Khoi Tu
Blog
Contact

Insight
Forge Common Purpose
Lead the Team
Pursue a Quest for the Best
Shape the Environment for Success
Build Cohesion
Master Conflict
Adapt or Die

Inspiration
Pixar
Ryder Cup
SAS
British Red Cross
Rolling Stones
Northern Ireland Peace Process
Ferrari Formula One

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WHAT PEOPLE SAY
‘Products, companies and organisations that
are brilliant, fun and deliver on their promise
often look super, super simple to the outside
world, but the detail and speed happening
behind the scenes is frighteningly fast. To
achieve this, let alone keep it going, requires
the right team and leadership, and a little bit
of magic based around good, solid
relationships and people skills.
We all work hard to get it right, even people
that are good at it, and nothing good lasts
forever so we need to keep on our toes!
For me, this is what this book is all about
– it shows what humans can do in different
scenarios, especially when the going gets
tough and there's a goal to be achieved.
Nice one Khoi.’
Jamie Oliver, Chef, Entrepreneur, Activist

‘Khoi Tu is the most visionary among
visionaries.’
Management Today

‘Khoi Tu has an inspirational mind, full of
curiosity, and a strong desire to find solutions
for issues that can seem to be unsolvable.’
‘Sir Jackie Stewart, three-time World Drivers’ Champion

‘This is a fantastic book. Do you want to
supercharge your team? Then ‘superteams’
will help you do just that and more. It is
creative, inspirational, and filled with
practical insights into what the most
successful teams do to reach such high
achievement. Reading it brings the
excitement of being part of the teams. WOW!
This book is destined to be a classic.’
George Kohlrieser, Professor of Leadership
at IMD.

‘Insightful… this book will be an essential in
any managers’ toolkit.’
Sir Nicholas Young, CEO of British Red Cross

‘Demystifies and choreographs what’s needed
to create high performance teams. Anybody
interested in teambuilding and teamwork
should have a serious look at this book.’
Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries, INSEAD Global Leadership Centre

IN THE MEDIA