There is one incredibly important characteristic of successful teams or organizations.
It is inherent and cannot be trained or programmed. With this a team can weather the storms of life together. When this is an attribute of an organization, regardless of the struggles it encounters, the vision can be accomplished.
Leaders need to understand the importance of this. Not doing so will cause frustration, conflict and stalled progress.
The characteristic of successful organizations: SHARED VALUES.
- It could be a passion for a cause or a belief. (Hopefully our church staff has this value.)
- It could be the way a team prefers to work together and relate to one another. (You find this with a lot a successful startups.)
- It could be an attitude towards work/life balance. (I see this one growing in importance.)
Whatever the shared values, there is a power of the heart connection among the team that cannot be overlooked as a reason for success in an organization. There is strength in believing in what you do, how you do it together and each person’s individual role in accomplishing the vision that is often more powerful even than talent, skills, or sometimes, even product.
Therefore, two outtakes of this principle:
1. Identifying the people who can share the values (written or unwritten) of your organization is a critical part in hiring and retaining team members.
2. For those considering joining an organization, an important consideration should be if you share the same values with the people who will be on your team.
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