Team leadership requires focusing collective energy on goals and tasks. A team is defined as a group with complementary skills that generates synergy through coordinated effort. To maintain alignment, teams should establish a few simple operating principles and goals, focus on outcomes as rewards, agree on regular processes, and resolve only conflicts impeding goals. High performing teams experience work as rewarding, participate in agreed upon processes, have a common understanding of goals and roles, easily resolve conflicts with minimal disruption, and help each other progress professionally.

1. Team Leadership Now
Team Leadership was used to be one thing. What is Team Leadership Now?

2. Team Leadership
Now
• You acted as a team under certain
conditions.
• The stress of the moment will require you
to focus collective energy on the goals and
tasks at hand.
• There are many types of groupings
leading in a crisis.
• To determine if you’re in a team, it helps
to first define what a team is.
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 2

3. A Definition of Terms: Leadership Now
Working Group: A group of experts formed and interacting with a common goal with little or no relationhips
Committee: A diverse group of people governing a task or organization by specific rules to make a series of decisions
Council: A collection of individuals who provide advice and are responsible for an outcome or entity and that convenes
to deliberate issues, empowered to conduct independent research and set up internal accountability mechanisms
Team: Members of a group with complementary skills who generate synergy through a coordinated effort; processes
allow each member to benefit from each other’s strengths, minimize individual limitations, and make advances
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 3

4. Ask yourself
these 5
Team
Leadership
Questions
Now
1. If I were asked a question usually posed to my
team member, in his or her area of expertise, could I
answer with some certainty?
2. What do I already know about each of my team
member’s goals?
3. What do I know about team members personally,
information about family and friends, that we have
felt comfortable sharing?
4. What is the balance of what I want to give to my
team, vs. what I want to receive?
5. If a team member and I met unexpectedly outside
of a team environment, what would be my first
reaction? (A) curious (B) concerned (C) suspicious
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 4

5. Why These
Team
Leadership
Questions
Matter Now
1. If I were asked a question usually posed to my team member, in his or her area of expertise, could I answer with
some certainty?
With clarity about your team members’ roles, you can act more
decisively without second guessing yourself.
2. What do I already know about each of my team member’s goals?
You demonstrate a willingness to seek common ground.
3. What do I know about team members’ personally, information about family and friends, that we have felt
comfortable sharing?
People who have a certain “psychological glue” make educated
decisions together, forgive mistakes more quickly, and accelerate
progress toward common goals.
4. What is the balance of what I want to give to my team, compared to what I want to receive from my team?
You recognize that the job of the team is to help make a “stronger”
and more unified force for good.
5. If a team member and I bumped into each other unexpectedly outside of a team environment, what would be my first
reaction? (A) Inquisitive (B) Concerned (C) Suspicious
A or B: Trusting of your team members. C: Untrusting of your team members.
You may be tired, or, there may be issues you must resolve, so that
you feel warmth and regard for team members.
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 5

6. How Do Teams
Achieve & Maintain
Alignment?
By keeping
everything… simple.
• Establish 3 basic operating principles & keep them
simple: What we do, how we do it, & how we help
each other. That’s it.
• Create team goals defined by “good looks like” so
that everyone shares that picture.
• Focus on “outcomes” as the reward for team
performance, and also remember to say “thank you”
every chance you get.
• Agree on two simple and regular team processes
about activity (what we will do) & communication
(did we do it?). Get agreement on both processes.
• Resolve only those conflicts that impede goals. Let
the rest go for later.
• Solicit team feedback as needed from each other:
How are “you” doing? How are “we” doing?
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 6

7. High Performing
Teams Leading Now
High Performing Team Characteristics:
• Experience the work/goal as more rewarding,
which offsets the stress of demanding
expectations.
• Participate in team processes without sabotaging
them by showing up late or unprepared.
• Report a common understanding of team goals,
their roles and agreed upon processes.
• Resolve conflict easily with minimal disruption.
• Help each other progress professionally by taking
time to explain things that are important.
• Share leadership of the team, while recognizing
the formal authority and direction of the leader.
• Team members hold themselves accountable first
before holding others and the team accountable.
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 7

8. Free to distribute, edit or refute.
For questions:
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC
nancypicard@picardllc.com
Nancy M. Picard, Picard LLC, March 31, 2020 8