Skills for High-Performance Leadership

Skills for High-Performance Leadership

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Course Overview: 

This intensive, two-day program is designed to equip current and aspiring leaders with the essential strategies and practical tools required to build, motivate, and sustain high-performing teams. Participants will delve into the critical aspects of team dynamics, from initial formation and goal setting to conflict resolution and performance optimization. The course focuses on applying proven models of leadership and management to create an environment of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring teams consistently deliver exceptional results. It is ideal for managers, project leads, and supervisors looking to elevate their team's output and their own leadership effectiveness in a rapid, high-impact format.

Course Objectives:

1. Analyze the key characteristics, stages of development, and essential components of high-performing teams versus average teams.

2. Apply effective strategies for establishing clear team goals, roles, and performance metrics that align with organizational strategy.

3. Implement best practices for fostering a culture of trust, open communication, and psychological safety within the team environment.

4. Develop advanced skills in facilitating productive team meetings and driving consensus on critical decisions.

5. Master techniques for providing constructive feedback, coaching individual team members, and effectively managing diverse team personalities.

6. Utilize conflict resolution models to proactively address disagreements and transform conflict into opportunities for growth and innovation.

7. Identify and remove common barriers to team performance, including poor processes, resource constraints, and motivational issues.

8. Evaluate team performance using relevant metrics and establish systems for continuous improvement and sustained excellence.

Course Outline:

Building the Foundation (Vision, Structure, and Trust)

1. Foundations of High-Performing Teams

1. Defining the characteristics and value proposition of high-performance.

2. Understanding the stages of team development (Tuckman's Model) and accelerating through them.

3. The role of psychological safety and trust in team success (Google's Project Aristotle).

4. Diagnosing current team performance and identifying key gaps for rapid intervention.

2. Strategic Team Leadership and Structure

1. Situational leadership models for varied team maturity and task complexity.

2. Designing effective team structures and defining clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities (RACI Matrix application).

3. Techniques for delegation and empowerment for immediate ownership.

4. Setting SMART team goals and aligning them with organizational strategy.

3. Dynamics of Intensive Communication and Collaboration

1. Mastering active listening and delivering high-impact, constructive feedback.

2. Facilitating rapid, effective team meetings and critical decision-making processes.

3. Strategies for fostering open communication and managing information flow under pressure.

4. Navigating power dynamics and accelerating the path to consensus.

Sustaining Performance (Conflict, Coaching, and Improvement)

4. Conflict Resolution and Performance Coaching

1. Understanding the sources and types of team conflict and their high-performance potential.

2. Applying structured conflict resolution models (e.g., Thomas-Kilmann) for swift resolution.

3. Coaching for performance improvement and recognizing team achievements in real-time.

4. Techniques for addressing non-performance and holding team members accountable immediately.

5. Advanced Performance Management and Accountability

1. Identifying and removing common barriers to rapid team performance.

2. Strategies for maximizing motivation and team energy in an intensive environment.

3. Leading diverse and geographically dispersed teams (virtual/hybrid strategies).

4. Promoting team innovation and creative problem-solving under tight deadlines.

6. Sustaining Excellence and Action Planning

1. Developing a culture of continuous improvement and rapid learning cycles.

2. Measuring and reporting on key team performance indicators (KPIs).

3. Conducting effective after-action reviews/retrospectives for learning and adaptation.

4. Creating a personal High-Performance Leadership Action Plan for immediate implementation.