Trump & Team Building

Donald Trump isn’t the first person you’d think of as a team builder, but he does effectively model one important principal of team building. If you want to lead your team follow the Donald’s lead and …

… speak your truth. As I pointed out in my last post, one of the necessary building blocks for developing a cohesive team is transparency. Why? Because transparency encourages trust. For your followers, even if they don’t agree with your truth, they appreciate that they don’t have to wonder what you’re thinking. Even if you haven’t yet come to a conclusion about a matter, saying “I want you to know that I’m still considering the matter and will get back to you in 3 days.” is transparent and builds trust.

If, however, like Trump, you use no filters in how you deliver your truth, your team, even if they agree with you, may run and hide. So, learn from the team building folly of the Donald and …

… watch your tongue. Donald Trump shows us that sharp-edged, unfiltered truth that’s blasted out like buckshot is counter-productive in team building. Such undisciplined rhetoric causes people to scatter for cover. As a team builder, you want to not only be transparent, but also wise in delivering your truth in ways that are considerate and sensitive to your audience.

In addition to learning from Trump’s speaking style, we can also learn from his hairstyle. If you want to be trusted as a team builder, be careful to …

… look like a leader. Look professional, but not fake. Whether it’s a strange looking comb over, teeth that are unnaturally white or skin that’s obviously over-painted, recognize that such embellishments may send the message that you’re self-centered and perhaps hiding something more than a bald spot, yellow teeth or blotchy skin. A natural appearance enhances the veracity of your words. Leaders who are personally stable find their confidence on the inside not on the outside and ,in turn, they’re often the best team builders.

So, if you want to be an effective team builder, say what you think after you’ve considered the best way to say it and present yourself as someone who’s focused on others, not yourself.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” African proverb