Hi ,

Christopher Avery here with a blatant promo about leadership ability...

Can you build any team any time with confidence, and for high performance, less stress, and more fun? You could. Guaranteed. Attend my KNOWLEDGE TEAM LEADERSHIP intensive in San Antonio, TX, 1-2 December 2010. (See who is endorsing this proven approach to leadership)

Now to the content...

In this recent blog post Teamwork Basics: Creating Positive Interdependence in Groups I offer empirical evidence that team-building is predictable and repeatable -- if you are willing to adopt the Leadership Gift mindset and approach that works time after time:

"Outcome interdependence" (i.e., linked fates or the feeling of being in the same boat together) -- not interpersonal attraction or the quality and quantity of communication -- is the number-one predictor of group cohesion and thus high-performance teamwork. In general, managers and leaders foster way too many feelings of negative interdependence in their organizations. That is an unintended consequence of compartmentalization, single-point accountability, budgeting, and sub-optimization in the name of organizational efficiency.

The unfortunate result: People are running around in each other's way instead of helping each other toward the collective goal. Then we call problem-solving meetings to blame each other for being in each other's way. (read more now)

Another post caused some buzz and even was re-published by some other blogs, probably because enterprises are struggling with how to develop a lean/agile ecosystem: Agile Is More Than a Set of Methods -- It's a Leadership Mindset:

Most still think of agility as a set of skills and methods as opposed to an astonishingly effective and high-performing mindset, culture, and approach to leadership.

A friend of mine condemns many IT organizations as "team ghettos." Designing a team ghetto is easy: organize developers into teams and organize management into silos over the teams, then watch the predictable inversion layer form between the two environments so that nothing ever gets across whole and unscathed. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the other group will rule both environments, and when the pain threshold is exceeded, the "whole team thing" will be declared an disaster and undone. (read more now)

There is more but I'll leave it for a post script.

To your freedom, power, and choice,

Upcoming Events

GLOBAL EDUCATORS ACADEMY - in Comfort, TX, 9-11 November 2010. For coaches, consultants, and leaders who want to teach and coach the Leadership Gift. This conference-style workshop is designed to increase and accelerate your Intention, Awareness, and Confront - the three keys to responsibility -- I promise.

MASTERING YOUR LEADERSHIP GIFT - INTRODUCTION - In San Antonio, TX, Tuesday, November 30, 2010. In this 2.5 hour session, learn how to jump-start your Leadership Gift practice so you can expand your leadership power and ability everyday.

Worth Repeating

Did you see this gracious video from Rally CEO Tim Miller about his experience in Knowledge Team Leadership? 

Learn more about my KNOWLEDGE TEAM LEADERSHIP intensive.

Potentially Worth Checking Out

I was honored to keynote Agile Day NYC. Video and slides from my Leadership Gift talk titled "Are We As Agile As We Think" are posted at Slideshare. Gather your team and enjoy.

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