Once the vision is set, the leader can examine the process in closer detail and look for improvements. One way is to increase simplicity because simplicity enables repetition and repetition improves performance. A leader can also look for ways to push the tempo so that the team is steadily accomplishing more and more in a fixed period of time. Again, simplification goes a long way. The leader can increase tempo by filtering out irrelevant information and establishing clear communication standards. A final thought to this point is that although change is commonly described as healthy for any team, a leader must recognize that people are generally more comfortable with adaptation. Therefore, a strong leader must know when to let things be, especially if a big change would result in a loss of simplicity in both the process and in each team member’s expertly defined job role.
A leader must always remember that his or her actions will be closely observed within the team. Personal accountability is critical, both professionally and personally, and leaders who ask the team to do more than they would do are on the surest path to losing support. Inconsistency is also a good way to lose credibility and a leader therefore must keep commitments whenever possible. A critical area for consistency is applying rules equally to everyone – exceptions tempt team members to take advantage of the rules for individual benefit and the cost is order within the team.
Lombardi notes that champions usually behave like champions long before they win anything. This thought explains his stance toward experience – although helpful in a vacuum, it’s more important to be well prepared than experienced because preparation beats experience every single time. A similar line of thinking applies to ego – although ego is harmful in a vacuum, success usually requires a healthy dose. A good ego demands constant improvement while a bad ego seeks praise. Prepared leaders who constantly seek improvement will succeed because their teams will recognize them as future champions and commit to the cause with full effort.
Leaders who take the opposite approach inevitably insult the intelligence of their teams and quickly lose the respect of those who hold leaders accountable for performance. I’ve seen this happen multiple times from my own experience – an unprepared leader demands praise and credit for the team’s accomplishments and ends up alienating the group. A confident leader should understand that by default the leader always gets some credit – therefore, it's vital to spread recognition for any of the team’s successes.
