Introducing the team Trust-o-Meter

The Thai women volleyball team recently became champions of Asia and the pride of the nation (at least for a while). The Bangkok Post interviewed Wilavan Apinyapong, team captain for seven years. She does not talk about hard training or the star players, but about trust, saying that her managing style is based on establishing trust among the players. "As a team leader, we have to make followers believe in us an that contributes to fellowship. When the foundation for trust is loosened, the followers may not accept your leadership."


Trust is also one of the key ingredients for a successful team Patrick Lencioni describes in his best-seller "The five dysfunctions of a team". In fact, he describes it as the foundation, the first condition that needs to be fulfilled if a team is to become successful. The four other conditions of a successful team are constructed on the basis of trust.

Why is trust so important in a team ? In a team with a solid trust level, team members feel free to ask questions, and even make mistakes, as they are not concerned they will be looked down upon or gossiped about by other team members (research by Amy Edmondson). And asking questions, looking for feedback, and making mistakes are the hallmarks of a team that learns. Learning so that tomorrow's challenges are addressed more effectively than today's. A team that is stuck in routine and does not try out new approaches is standing still. A team that is learning grows and enhances its capabilities to deal with future challenges.

Trust in a team should not justy be addressed in the "blindfolded-person-crosses-obstacle-course-guided-by-team-mates-vocal-instructions" during the annual team building exercise. Trust (or the lack thereof) happens in the everyday interactions and exchanges between team members.


How is your team doing ? How high is the trust level ? Send me an email and I will send a simple Trust-o-Meter test for your team: 3 minutes per person, Thai/English completely anonymous, for teams up to 15 people. A snapshot of the overall level of trust in your team, and the spread of the results, can give you a good indication of where your team stands, and how solid your team's foundation is.

Did Fergie get it wrong ?

Sir Alex Ferguson recently retired after 26 years as coach of Manchester United and one of the most successful reigns as coach, with numerous trophies and even a statue to prove it. He has become some sort of an icon for what a leader is supposed to do, and is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study. The October edition of the Harvard Business Review continues the adoration with a long article where Ferguson shares the "secrets of the worlds' greatest coach". He is now the new role model that business leaders should look up to.

His resume as coach is impeccable. But is he really such a great leader, and an example for leaders business ? A lot is written about his management style. But what about the team he has left behind ? Isn't a great leader supposed to leave behind a great team ? It is too early to say how the new season will work out for Manchester United, but the start has been everything but impressive. Now, this is not because the new coach tried to change things around. In fact, it is quite the contrary: David Moyes tries his very best not to change anything to the winning formula that Sir Alex has left behind. But for some reason, things seem to be anything but smooth.

Was Sir Alex a leader who put his team in front, who created trust between his players, delegated and made the players commit themselves fully ? Or was it all about himself; making every decision, micro-managing and seeing his solution as the only possible option ? I was never in the dressing room so I can not tell for sure.

Steven Jobs has left an impressive legacy of innovative products and services (I'm using several of them). But has he left behind a sustainable company and a strong team at Apple ? Or was it really all about him ? Here again, we probably need to wait for a few years, but if the only thing Apple can come up with is bigger/smaller/thinner/thicker/different colored versions of its existing products, the company's innovative image and luster will quickly fade.

A great leader should be judged by the results, but also by how his team or company (or football club) fares after he is no longer at the helm. When a team continues to excel during 2 or 3 years after the charismatic leader has left, then the claim of greatness - greatness of creating an enduring enterprise - can be made. Otherwise, we maybe were enjoying a one-man show.

David Gill, the former CEO of Manchester United, is quoted in the introduction to the HBR article, as saying "Steve Jobs was Apple; Sir Alex Ferguson is Manchester United." So what is Apple when Jobs has passed away ? And what is Manchester United when Ferguson retires ? Good questions indeed.