The 2006 Leadership Excellence Summit
Pre-Summit Seminar #2
"Teambuilding to Create the Leaders of Tomorrow"
Dan Lyons
Founder and President
Team Concepts, Inc.
Team Concepts is a team building and leadership development company that seeks to spread the Olympic spirit of excellence throughout the corporate world. Staffed by Olympians, CEO's, and leading academics, Team Concepts runs innovative programs based on the Olympic spirit of competition. The cornerstone philosophy of Team Concepts' programs is The Eight Secrets of Inspirational Leadership, which is based on the activation of individual and group potential through the engagement of the human spirit. The ultimate result of this approach is the development and fine-tuning of a high performance team. These eight steps were the foundation for the day's activities and acted as guideposts for the participants' training and teambuilding exercises.
The morning teambuilding workshops were delayed by a freak accident. Two SUVs carrying members of the event's coaching staff were involved in a multi-car accident on Interstate 97 that resulted in several of them being hospitalized and one being transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital for emergency surgery. Lyons contacted two members of the USNA Crew team coaching staff to cover for the absent members and quickly put the day's schedule back on track.
Lyons started the morning workshop with a brief history of rowing as a sport. Legitimized in the 1860's, crew was the first intercollegiate sport in history. It was also the first professional sport and, consequently, the first to be corrupted. Lyons emphasized the history and tradition behind crew throughout the day, pointing out the symbols of the USNA crew team's accomplishments that line the walls of the Hubbard Hall boathouse.
Incorporating these values of tradition and accomplishment, Lyons discussed the first two of the Eight Secrets of Inspirational Leadership. First, everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves. Lyons tied this closely to the idea of not just being part of a team, but being part of a winning team. He also tied in the second secret; everyone wants to feel valued. Lyons pointed out the various roles of crew team members, all the while emphasizing that their responsibilities, while individually significant, were nothing without teamwork. With this, Lyons introduced the core value of trust to the equation. Each member of the crew team must do his part while trusting the other members to do theirs. Lyons then discussed the role of storytelling in teambuilding and leadership and began a narrative about his 1986 world championship team that he would thread through the various lessons and workshops of the day.
After this workshop, Lyons split the participants into two teams. Each would be crewing an eight-man rowboat. He then discussed the value of bonding mechanisms in teambuilding, and asked both teams to take some time to develop a team name, a motto, a logo, symbol or mascot, and a team goal for the day. The name, motto and logo were placed on a ‘banner' for each team, giving them each a symbol, an item that Lyons stressed was an exceptional bonding tool.
The first team to complete their banner was the Rookie Rowers, sporting the motto, "Pulling together." Hands-On Team finished soon after, with the motto, "Together Oar Else." Both teams had oars as central themes to their banners. Lyons took this opportunity to reiterate the first two secrets, stressing heavily the importance of members having a sense of belonging and value within the team.
Lyons and the two coaches then took the team into a practice room filled with rowing machines resembling sit-down treadmills. The participants were taught proper form and posture. After learning the basics, Lyons asked for volunteers to lead each team in practicing in unison. Cycling through leading members, Lyons used this to illustrate the diversity of leadership styles and the resulting team behavior, citing differences in pace and rhythm. He also stressed that there was no single ‘best' approach and that this was, quite literally, simply a case of ‘different strokes for different folks.'
With the fundamentals covered, it was time for the teams to get out on the water. Lyons and his assistants lead the teams to their boats, still on racks in the boathouse. Each team member was assigned a seat, and the teams then carried their boats to the docks and placed them in the water. The teams were then briefed on the basics of prepping, boarding and shoving off. They were then taught proper balancing and basic navigational tips. With Lyons and his assistant coaches following in powered chase boats, the teams then shoved off. Participants spent 2 hours rowing on College Creek, learning how to control and stabilize the boat in basic maneuvers.
Following their first outing, both teams appeared discouraged and, in some cases, frustrated. As the teams re-entered Hubbard Hall, covered in sweat and looking physically exhausted, Lyons and his assistants offered advice and constructive criticism to both teams. As the teams sat down to lunch, Lyons went around to individual members to discuss their progress and their missteps. After giving the teams a chance to settle in and rest following their meal, Lyons pressed forward with his teambuilding advice.
As Lyons continued to recount his journey to the world championship, he clued the participants in to the next two secrets of inspirational leadership: Defining the performance objective and ennobling the effort. As an exercise, he asked participants to set aside the day's activities and contemplate their individual leadership goals. He asked each participant to write down the specific goal of their particular workplace team, to evaluate their efficiency in clearly articulating that goal to their team, and to identify means of improving the process through which they communicate it within their organization.
Lyons stressed the importance of making goals valuable and desirable to the team, and he also encouraged participants to find ways to help their teammates envision themselves as playing a significant role in the end result. When members buy into a vision presented by the leadership, they feel empowered. "Great organizations give to people, purpose," Lyons said. This sense of being vital to the greater cause is an important attitude to foster in the members of a high-performance team.
With the workshop completed, Lyons then discussed secrets five and six: Empowering individuals within team synergy, and emphasizing personal responsibility. Lyons stressed empowerment as a great motivator in the team environment. By playing to individual strengths and allowing each member to develop a unique and vital responsibility to the team, each person can feel that they are a valuable asset. Diversity itself can be a great strength as long as individuality is not stifled. Letting each member develop their own, unique role within the group allows them to preserve a sense of identity.
Lyons also placed heavy emphasis on leading by example. A motivational story, especially one told from a first-person perspective, can be a great way to reinforce positive roles in the team. "Everybody has a fascinating story," Lyons said. "Some people don't think they have any stories, but they do, and your story will be different from mine."
Lyons used this to segue into the seventh secret of inspirational leadership: Celebrating the journey. This concept revolves around finding ways to recognize small achievements as part of the path to the end goal. When these small victories are celebrated, they encourage the team to continue to work incrementally toward the end, tackling the smaller hurdles as they come. As Lyons continued the story of his team's journey to the world championships, he emphasized each victory, each defeat, and each lesson learned, demonstrating how one can win every day, no matter the outcome. As Lyons' narrative neared its climax, a much-anticipated race with the Harvard crew team, he announced that it was again time to row. Despite pleas from the participants for him to conclude his story, Lyons ushered everybody outside for the day's main event: a race between Hands on Team and the Rookie Rowers.
Displaying more confidence than at the conclusion of their previous adventure, both teams quickly boarded their boats and shoved off. Soon, both boats disappeared behind the many bridges of College Creek. When they returned, their demeanors remained enthusiastic and accomplished. In two races, each team had taken a victory. As they returned to Hubbard Hall, one participant belted out an enthusiastic, "Yeah, Rookie Rowers!" Handshakes and back-slaps were exchanged by both teams.
As the group settled back in to the lounge, Lyons concluded his story, narrating an excruciating loss to Harvard and the struggles that followed. He then conducted a medal ceremony, awarding four gold medals and four silver medals to each team. As the ceremony concluded, Lyons discussed the eighth secret of inspirational leadership: Positive engaged energy. His tagline for this secret is, "draw the best from others by showing the best from your self." Instead of explaining this secret, he showed a recording of his 1986 world championship race. Representing the United States, Lyons' team took home first place, beating teams representing both East and West Germany, Czechoslovakia, Italy, and others. He then thanked the participants and handed out contact information and flyers as the group dispersed.
Team Concepts, Inc conducts several other experiential programs such as festival games, stock car racing, and movie-making. Team Concepts has found that the most effective training happens with as much "full engagement" as is possible. They also offer online courses. For more information about this or any other Team Concepts seminar, visit www.TeamConceptsinc.com or call 800.956.1805.