What Makes Teamwork Work?

IT Leaders Guide to Getting the Rest of the Organisation Onboard

Dr. John Kenworthy – IT Leadership Coach and Trainer

The Law of SignificanceOne is too small a number to achieve significance

ChallengeName one significant achievement that was the result of only ONE person’s effort?

Proof for the Law of Significance

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 120

2

4

6

8

10

Average RevenueAverage Profit

Number of individuals

$100,000’s

Team Average Revenue 276% HigherTeam Average Profit 115% Higher

Data based onMeans of 156 teams and 78 individuals, In our Strategy Edge Simulation

So teams are more productive?• Yes

1. Size does matter! Productive teams >5 and <13

• The ideal team size is 8 or 9 members2. When led by a single line manager who

shows a high personal leadership lid (>5 using GAPPS4) and a high leadership flexibility (>4 using GAPPS4)

• No3. When the work is creative in nature.

Challenge• Think of three things that you do each week that you do

entirely alone.• Now think of why you do these things alone?

• Now, consider that you are recommending to someone else about how best to tackle those things… would you recommend that they do it alone or with someone else?

Why we like to go it alone (aka What makes teamwork not work)• Insecurity• Ego• Fear• Selfishness• Pride• Control• Naivety• Poor teammates• Lack of training

All reduce and restrain our abilities as a leader.

What makes Teamwork work?Leader with high Leadership Lid

Leader with [Style] Flexibility

Flexibility

INCREASES

Law of the Lid• Leadership determines

the level of effectiveness• Of the team• Of the organization

Snap AudioNarration Control

Leadership lid and effectiveness

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12

34

56

78

910

Effectiveness

EffectivenessINCREASES

Leaders Lid

Leadership Character

Lead

ersh

ip A

bilit

y

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What is your leadership lid?1.What is the number on my

leadership lid?2.Would others around me

agree with my assessment?3.What is my plan to increase

my leadership lid.4.What are the lid numbers of

those who work with me?5.What is my plan to increase

the leadership lid of others?

?Leaders Lid

Remember: Leadership Develops Daily, not in a day!Law of Process

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Leadership Lid and Profitability

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 90

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

ProfitTotal CostMarket Share

Leader’s Lid

$100

,000

,s

Data based onMeans of 156 teams and 78 individuals, In CELSIMs Strategy Edge Simulation

Challenge• Think of a leader you admire.• Why do you admire them?

Leadership Flexibility

Flexible

Stubborn

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent our of shape.

Leadership Flexibility

Flexible Leader Stubborn Leader• One size fits one• Reads the audience then

communicates• Continually develops• Accepts responsibility and

gives praise• Empowers others• Enriches the team

• One size fits all• Reads the speech to the

audience• Knows enough• Accepts praise and

abdicates responsibility• Blames others• Impoverishes the team

When is team work:

A good thing? Not such a good thing?• When you want greater

efficiency• When you want greater

productivity• When you want more fun with

others• When the team leader has a

high leadership lid and is flexible to continuously learn and develop

• When your ego or pride will be hurt

• When productivity is not important

• When you want to work alone• When the team leader is

stubborn and thinks they are already good enough or can’t let go of control

Leadership Flexibility and “Success”

<3 4-5 6-7 >70

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Promotion YearsSalary

Leadership Flexibility

$ Sa

lary

000

’s

Year

s

Data based onGAPPS4 and Interview of 22,326 Leaders in SEA

To sum up• Teamwork Matters:

• Teamwork increase profitability, efficiency and productivity• Be The Best You Can Be:

• Team Leaders who have developed their leadership perform better than other leaders

• Team Leaders who are show greater leadership flexibility have more productive and efficient teams

• Highly flexible leaders are paid more and get promoted faster

www.LeadershipAdvantEdge.comDr John Kenworthy

IT Leadership Trainer, Coach and Mentor