One of the biggest challenges teams have is engaging in group thinking.
The problem often begins when a leader is so strong or charismatic that he influences the rest of the team to think just like he does. To further complicate things, if this leader is in charge of all hiring decisions, he probably hires people who are just like him. They think like him, speak like him, and sometimes even look like him!
In this environment, “group thinking” looks like this: the leader poses a question, the leader suggests a course of action, and everyone nods in agreement. The final decision is based on one single, unchallenged idea.
Personally, I have always benefited from having people on my team who think differently than I do!
After an hour and a half, he left, and one of my sons came by. He is 17, and is finishing up his senior year with some classes at our local community college. The purpose of our one on one time was to connect and take a look at his plan for the next quarter. It was an opportunity for me to listen to him and to connect at a deeper level. I was able to pour into him.
