Enlist The Right People To Your Team

No man is an island. And no leader leads alone.

Every leader has the responsibility to fill his team with players who will take the organization to the next level.

Get the right people on your team - fist bump

Too often, we see leaders fill their teams with yes men or people just like themselves. There’s no diversity to their teams.

The lack of diversity also leads to another problem: Creativity will be limited.

I like what Brian Dodd says in his book The 2-Minute Leader:

Wise leaders don’t seek out people who are just like them. If someone doesn’t fit your mold, that is probably a very good thing.

Why Your Clones Aren’t Good

We want to be around people who are like us. They bring us comfort and we know how to relate to them.

They’re just like us, after all.

For friends, that can be a good thing. In the business arena, that’s not so great.

Having team members who are just like you stifles:

Creativity

Discussion

Progress

While this may not seem like something that would happen, it does.

Your clones won’t stand up and challenge you. They think you want them to agree all the time.

Your clones won’t discuss new and innovative ideas. They’ll parrot what you have already said.

Your clones will struggle with progress. They will follow your lead, regardless of the issues that may hold back progress.

Clones aren’t your friends when it comes to having people on your team. You need to enlist the right people to your team.

Who Are The Right People?

That’s a very good question. You need to find the right people and get them onto your team.

The problem is the right people often don’t look like you. And we can find that scary.

Who are the right people?

The right people will engage in open and honest discussion

The right people will challenge your current way of thinking and present creative ideas

The right people will keep watch to make sure the organization is progressing in the right direction

The right people aren’t going to be clones of you. They’re going to be original thinkers. They’ll ask questions and dig deeper to make sure you’re on the right track. They might even challenge old ideas to encourage new ways of thinking.

These people aren’t your enemy.

No, they’re your greatest asset. They see things you can’t or won’t see. They will push you to become better.

You can’t push away diversity within your team. Instead, embrace the different aspects each unique individual brings to your team.

Not only will your organization be better for their contributions, you will be too.

Question: How do you enlist the right people onto your team? Share your strategies in the comment section below.
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