Let’s Play Would You Rather: Highly Competent or Perfectly Aligned Leadership?

In the quest for corporate success, many CEOs prioritize assembling highly competent teams. While skills and expertise are undeniably crucial, there’s an often overlooked ingredient that can propel an organization to unprecedented heights: unity. A united team driven by a shared vision and common goals can create synergy that surpasses individual contributions. This collective focus enhances communication, collaboration, resilience, adaptability, and employee engagement, ultimately leading to higher productivity and innovation.

However, many companies focus primarily on competency and skills rather than the ability to unite or emotional intelligence. This emphasis on industry experience and technical skills stems from the fact that competency is easier to measure and quantify through qualifications, experience, and performance metrics. It’s also a more straightforward criterion during the hiring process. Yet, this focus can lead to a workforce that, while skilled, may not gel well together.

The Pitfalls of Misaligned Leadership

Leadership teams that are not aligned on mission, values, and vision often face significant challenges when designing and implementing corporate strategies or financial plans. Misaligned teams can suffer from:

• Conflicting Priorities: Leading to stalled decision-making and inconsistent strategies.
• Diluted Focus: Pursuing divergent goals, reducing the company’s overall effectiveness.
• Ineffective Communication: Resulting in misunderstandings and operational inefficiencies.
• Reduced Morale: Employees sense when leadership is not unified, leading to decreased morale and engagement throughout the company.

Unity Over Competency

On the other hand, companies that may not have as much competency but are aligned in mission, values, and vision often outperform their more skilled counterparts. Here’s why:

• Consistent Decision-Making: Aligned leadership teams make decisions that consistently reflect the company’s mission and values, leading to more cohesive and effective strategies.
• Unified Culture: A strong, unified culture fosters a sense of belonging and shared purpose among all employees, enhancing overall organizational performance.
• Enhanced Agility: Unified teams can respond more swiftly and effectively to market changes, guided by a clear, shared vision.
• Sustainable Growth: The long-term commitment to a shared mission and values ensures sustainable growth, as opposed to the short-term gains that may come from relying solely on competency.

The Executive Leader’s Role

Executive leaders play a crucial role in championing the importance of unity within their teams. They must:

• Create and Communicate a Compelling Vision: Ensure that all team members understand and are inspired by the company’s goals.
• Foster a Collaborative Culture: Encourage open communication, teamwork, and the sharing of ideas.
• Build Trust: Develop trust among team members through transparency, reliability, and support.
• Recognize and Reward Team Efforts: Celebrate collective achievements, not just individual successes.

Checklist for CEOs: Competency vs. Unity

Use this checklist to evaluate whether your leadership team is more focused on activities related to competency or on unifying the team:

Competency-Focused Activities:

1. Hiring Practices:
   • Are job descriptions heavily weighted towards technical skills and industry experience?
   • Do interview questions primarily assess individual expertise and past performance?
2. Performance Metrics:
   • Are KPIs centered on individual accomplishments and technical achievements?
   • Is there more emphasis on quantitative results than on team dynamics?
3. Training and Development:
   • Are training programs primarily focused on enhancing technical skills and competencies?
   • Is there limited investment in soft skills or leadership training aimed at fostering team cohesion?
4. Recognition and Rewards:
   • Are awards and recognitions primarily given to individuals based on their competency and results?
   • Is there less emphasis on celebrating collaborative efforts and team successes?

Unity-Focused Activities:

1. Mission and Values Alignment:
   • Are all team members aware of and aligned with the company’s mission and values?
   • Do leaders frequently communicate and reinforce the company’s vision?

2. Collaborative Culture:
   • Is open communication and teamwork encouraged and practiced across all levels?
   • Are there regular team-building activities and opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration?
3. Building Trust:
   • Do leaders practice transparency and reliability in their interactions with team members?
   • Are there systems in place to support and nurture mutual trust within the team?
4. Recognition and Rewards:
   • Are collective achievements and team efforts regularly acknowledged and celebrated?
   • Is there a balanced recognition of both individual and team contributions?

In conclusion, while competency is essential, unity is the glue that holds a team together and drives it to excel. Executive leaders who prioritize creating a unified team will see the benefits in higher performance, innovation, and overall organizational success. Let’s shift our focus from merely assembling skilled individuals to building strong, united teams that can take our companies to new heights.