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Piers Morgan

CREATING A STAR TEAM FROM A TEAM OF STARS - LEADERSHIP LESSONS RELEVANCE TO A POST COVID-19 WORLD


“A star team beats a team of stars” is the old adage.

The Chicago Bulls won a remarkable six US NBA championships between 1991 and 1998. Michael Jackson was the figurehead – an exceptional and legendary player. Success was built on integrating Jackson’s talents to form a star team. The leadership philosophies of their coach, Phil Jackson, were instrumental to this success.


Jackson’s book, “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success”, published in 2013, sets out 11 principles of leadership. They are just as relevant to organisations – the more so when the business environment is as uncertain as it is now and people’s opinions about C-19 are likely to be polarised.

Like a basketball team not certain how its opponents will perform, businesses face many uncertainties in their business environment. Leading talented executives with varying perspectives is always challenging. We selected five of Jackson’s philosophies that resonate for us …

#1. Create a leadership structure that gives each manager a clearly defined and important role, with scope and opportunity for creativity. The structure needs to be clear and well-defined. Getting the structure right is the key to success. It needs to align closely to the entity’s strategic and tactical plans to deliver the outcomes expected. The board, CEO and management need to understand their subordinates well enough to know how much flexibility can be given – enough to inspire innovative thinking and actions, not so much that they can damage the business by mistakes.

#2. Encourage and support managers to think laterally and creatively. Managers who are encouraged to think and solve problems will have the capacity to make difficult decisions when paradigms shift and new thinking is needed. Board and senior management need to create a culture that allows diverse opinions and actions.

#3. Speak from the heart to be heard and understood clearly. Jackson calls this leading from the inside out. C-19 has added a layer of fear and uncertainty, in different degrees, to many people that may cloud their receptiveness to new ideas. Thinking and speaking clearly, honestly and from the heart is the best way to influence others, rather than trying to exert authority.

#4. Compassion is the key to success. Being kind and thoughtful can transform relationships and is all the more important when people are stressed and uncertain about their future, as many now are with C-19. Managers should take time out to talk to staff regularly and help those struggling.

#5. Focus on a team’s spirit, not it’s tactics. It’s more important that the team are moving together as one. Tactics can be adjusted on the run to achieve the goals. This is particularly important at times of stress and tension, when some of the team might not have bought into the tactics and be moving in a different direction or at a lacklustre pace.

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