There has been significant research into the power of teams in Organisations over the last four decades with big time players in this field being renowned experts such as Warren Bennis, Peter Senge and Bruce Tuckman, famously known for his Stages of Team Development Model.

The adage of ‘there is no I’ in team rings true when you consider how much more a group of people (a team) working together can achieve as opposed to one individual on their own. Together everybody does really achieve more.

We all know about the gender inequality in the workforce. That’s not new! But if the truth be known and I consider all the years I have worked in leadership and organisational development, I think women tend to be slightly more advanced in the role.

Why? Mostly because women are more able to deal with the emotions of others, they tend to have a greater ability to ‘read’ situations around them and don’t have a ‘bullish’ approach to business. It’s a strength.

6 rules to build Highly Performing Teams as a Leader:

1. Have a Clear Vision. Know where you are going and make sure people who follow you know where you are taking them

2. Be clear about your goals and those of the team. What are the goals everybody down the line must achieve to reach the Vision? Are they clear?

3. Clarify Individual and team roles. Who does what, when and how?

4. Design and live by clear team rules. With the team design a clear Code of Conduct that guides behaviour and according to which they are all evaluated. Use it in team meetings, highlight it on the walls and make it a part of everyday ‘how we do things around here.’ office life. Use it as key performance indicator for every team members’ behaviour during performance appraisals and all year-round. Even better use it for them to evaluate each other

5. Create and maintain a team culture of ongoing achievement and support

6. Make sure ongoing measurement and evaluation is part of how you do business, so you can ensure your team is meeting goals against agreed objectives and the vision if there is one area of success you can achieve as a female in business, it is creating and maintaining highly performing teams. Learn how to do it well and devise a strategy to move your teams towards success over time.

Caryn Walsh is a psychologist, international business consultant, keynote speaker, executive coach and works on 3 continents around the world developing leaders, people and organisations at all levels.

She is well known for her ability to powerfully move audiences in her motivational speaking and coaches CEO’s, senior leaders and women internationally.

She is at the helm of Pure Magic International Business Solutions (www.puremagicbusiness.com.au) and also runs Empowering Women, Empowering Lives – a series of programs, retreats and seminars dedicated to helping women thrive.  (see www.carynwalsh.com.au)