How the Mighty Fall: Leadership Team Dynamics

In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins compares and contrasts the Leadership-Team Dynamics of Teams "On the Way Down" versus Teams "On the Way Up."

Teams On the Way Down are characterized as...

...Shielding those in power from the grim facts because of fear of penalty and criticism because they have shined the light on harsh realities;

...Having team members who assert strong opinions without supporting data or evidence;

...Having team leaders who avoid asking questions that seek honest opinion or critical input;

...Acquiescing to decisions that they are not supportive of, then undermining those same decisions;

...Seeking credit for themselves without enjoying the admiration or affirmation of their peers;

...Arguing to improve their individual personal interests rather than arguing for that which is best for the overall cause;

...Searching for reasons or people to blame rather than searching for wisdom; and

...Failing to deliver exceptional results while blaming other people or outside factors for mistakes, failures, and setbacks.

Teams On the Way Up, however, are characterized by...

...Having team members who have permission to bring forth unpleasant facts without fear of reprocussion;

...Delivering supporting data and evidence to accompany opinions;

...Having team leaders who are Socratic in leadership style and use penetrating questions to challenge the team to advance;

...Unifying behind decisions and working together to make the decision succeed, even if personally disagreeing with the decision;

...Crediting other people for success while enjoying the confidence and admiration of their peers;

...Arguing and debating to improve the organization rather than individual interests;

...Mining wisdom from painful experiences; and

...Delivering exceptional results while accepting responsibility for setbacks and mistakes.