John Maxwell says that when all else is equal between two teams, the successful team will have the best leadership.

1. The Edge for Project Success:
Leadership Skills to Deliver through Teams
Presented by Andrea L. Ames, IBM
Senior Technical Staff Member /
Information Experience Strategist & Architect
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 1

2. About Andrea
Technical communicator since 1983
Areas of expertise
Information architecture and design and interaction design for
products and interactive information
Information and product usability—from analysis through
validation
User-centered design and development process
IBM Senior Technical Staff Member
University of CA Extension certificate coordinator
and instructor
STC Fellow, past president (2004-05), and past member
of Board of Directors (1998-2006)
ACM Distinguished Engineer
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 2

3. Agenda
How successful will you be with your teams?
A quiz
Leadership in teams
Demystifying successful teaming
Team leadership myths
Taking action…as a team leader
and a team member
Resources
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 3

4. The question is not…
“Will you participate in something
that involves others?”
The question is…
“Will your involvement with
others be successful?”
– John Maxwell,
The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 4

5. A quick quiz…
1 = Never; 2 = Sometimes; 3 = Always
1. I take complete ownership of my
responsibilities.
2. I do my job to the best of my ability so my
leader will be able to focus more on the larger
challenges my team faces.
3. When my leader suggests a book or resource
to me, I usually invest in it.
4. I continually learn from other leaders.
5. I believe that everyone is important, but
everyone isn’t equal.
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 5

6. A quick quiz… (cont.)
1 = Never; 2 = Sometimes; 3 = Always
6. I treat each member of the team with respect, because
each person has unique gifts and talents that allow us
to be successful.
7. I acknowledge other people’s gifts, skills, and abilities,
and encourage them to step forward when our team
faces a challenge they can help with.
8. I am developing my leadership skills, so I will be
prepared when called upon.
9. When the team faces a challenge, I think in terms of
mobilizing people to meet it.
10. My motivation for taking on a leadership role is to help
the team.
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 6

7. How did you do?
24 – 30 This is an area of strength
16 – 23 This area might not be hurting
you, but it’s not helping, either.
10 – 15 This is an area of weakness in
your teamwork.
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 7

8. Leadership in the context of a team
Critical to the success of any project requiring
the efforts of more than one person – in other
words, any project in today’s work environment
Difficult to describe, even by those
who are good at it
Is shrouded in mystery and
perceived to be an inborn talent
Can be learned
Is the edge that separates successful
teams from those that aren’t so much
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 8

9. The mystery of good teams
demystified…the 17 Laws (John Maxwell)
Significance The Catalyst
One is too small a number to achieve Winning teams have players who
greatness make things happen
The Big Picture The Compass
The goal is more important than the Vision gives team members direction
role and confidence
The Niche The Bad Apple
All players have a place where they Rotten attitudes ruin a team
add the most value
Countablity
Mount Everest Teammates must be
As the challenge escalates, the need able to count on each
for teamwork elevates other when it counts
The Chain The Price Tag
The strength of the team is impacted The team fails to reach
by its weakest link its potential when it fails
to pay the price
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 9

10. The mystery of good teams
demystified…the 17 Laws, cont. (John Maxwell)
The Scoreboard The Edge
The team can make adjustments The difference between two
when it knows where it stands equally talented teams is
leadership
The Bench
Great teams have great depth High Morale
When you’re winning, nothing
Identity hurts
Shared values define the team
Dividends
Communication Investing in the team compounds
Interaction fuels action over time
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 10

11. The Edge: The difference between two
equally talented teams is leadership
The key to success?
Personnel determine the
potential of the team
Vision determines the
direction of the team
Work ethic determines the
preparation of the team
Leadership determines the success of the team
– the difference between two equally talented
and prepared teams with the same direction
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 11

12. Leaders…
See farther than their teammates
See things more quickly than
their teammates
Know what’s going to happen and
anticipate it
Get the team moving in the right
direction ahead of time
How…?
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 12

13. Leaders lift teams to new levels by working
with people and bringing out their best
Transfer ownership of work to those who do it
Create an environment where team members
want to be responsible
Build capability on the team – project-related and
personal
Learn quickly and encourage others to do so
Do things just a little bit better than others do
Model team member behavior – become a team
member that everyone wants…What?!
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 13

14. Team leadership is shared
and situational
Significant research backs this up!
Two myths:
Myth of the Head Table – One person is
always in charge in every situation
Myth of the Roundtable – Everyone is equal,
all opinions count the same,
and team can function
without leadership
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 14

15. Myth of the Head Table
One person is always in charge in every situation
Challenge of the moment often determines
who must lead
Every person on the team has strengths
that come into play
More challenge = more need for
leadership
Thus, the more leaders a team
develops, the more edge it has
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 15

16. Myth of the Roundtable
Everyone is equal, all opinions count the same, and team can function
without leadership
Everyone is important, but not equal
Who is most important?
The person in a given area with:
Greatest skill
Greatest experience
Greatest productivity
Teams are not democracies
More like benevolent dictatorships
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 16

17. Things to consider…and hopefully
discuss with your team
How are leaders appointed in my organization?
What qualities does a person need to lead my team?
How can my organization avoid the Myth of the
Head Table and the Myth of the Round Table?
What role has leadership played on your teams –
successes and setbacks?
How are you developing your own leadership
skills?
What changes do you need to make so your
leader can do her job more effectively?
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 17

18. Take action!
Acknowledge the value of leadership.
Take personal responsibility for your own
growth:
Become a better team member.
Put yourself on a leadership-development
program to become a better team leader.
Find a leadership mentor.
Adding value to you adds value
to the team!
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 18

19. Take personal responsibility for
your own growth
Build your brand
Know, manage, and lead yourself
Emotional intelligence
Seven habits
Attitude
360-degree leadership
Know your strengths
StrengthsFinder 2.0
StandOut
Follow your passion
Add value and articulate it
Get a mentor; mentor others; connect!
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 19

20. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
The Law of The Lid The Law of The Big Mo
Do not limit an organization as others Create momentum and lift the team to
do a higher level than others do
The Law of Influence The Law of Solid Ground
Have greater influence than others do Stand on a foundation of trust that is
more solid than others
The Law of Process
Value the process of developing The Law of Respect
people more than others do Command greater respect than others
do
The Law of Navigation
Prepare the team for the journey better The Law of Intuition
than others do Work on leadership
issues earlier than
The Law of E.F.Hutton others do
Communicate more effectively than
others do The Law of
Magnetism
Draw more leaders to
themselves than others do
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 20

21. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
(cont.)
The Law of Connection The Law of Priorities
Connect with people better than others Establish priorities more effectively
do than others do
Understand and use timing more
The Law of The Inner effectively than others do
Circle The Law of Sacrifice
Bring stronger key people around Give up their personal agendas more
them than others do than others do
The Law of Reproduction The Law of Explosive
Reproduce more leaders than others
do Growth
Grow leaders and organizations faster
The Law of Victory than others do
Win with teams more than others do
The Law of Legacy
The Law of Buy-In Leave a legacy that lasts longer than
Sell themselves and their vision to a others do
greater degree than others do
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 21

22. Take a minute to jot down…
What I’m doing to develop better leadership
skills:
__________________________________
People who can help me on my
leadership journey:
__________________________________
My next step on my leadership journey
is to:
__________________________________
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 22

23. Resources
Leadership Networking
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets
Maxwell to Success, One Relationship at a Time, Keith
360-Degree Leadership, John Maxwell Ferrazzi
Principle-Centered Leadership, Stephen Covey
The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey Personal development
Leadership, Tom Peters The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,
Stephen R. Covey
Teaming Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than
IQ, Daniel Goleman
The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teams, John Maxwell Attitude 101, John C. Maxwell
The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High- StrengthsFinder 2.0, Tom Rath
Performance Organization, Jon R. Katzenbach and
Douglas K. Smith StandOut, Marcus Buckingham
Communication
Talking from 9 to 5, Deborah Tannen, Ph.D.
Fierce Conversations, Susan Scott
Crucial Conversations, Kerry Patterson, Joseph
Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
Mentoring
Mentoring 101, John Maxwell
Power Mentoring, Ellen Ensher
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 23

24. Questions?
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 24

25. Contacting/following Andrea
E-mail: aames@pobox.com
Twitter: @aames
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alames
Blog: alamesblog.blogspot.com/
(c) Andrea L. Ames, 2006-2011 25