Full Transcript for Misalignment Is Killing Your Team’s Momentum | Michael King | The Leadership Match

a thousand people in my leadership pipeline, so I didn't necessarily know what was going to happen on a day-to-day basis. 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:28.800 But also within that same context, I knew what it took to be a part of a great team, and I also knew what it felt like to be a part of a horrible team. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.639 And those things really influenced my heart and influenced my things. 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:44.800 So when I when I felt like that, I was getting called into executive coaching and whatnot, because though those doors opened a little bit organically because of the type of success that I was having within church ministry, right? 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:49.360 And I came out of it with one perspective and and really one kind of mission. 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:55.360 What would happen if I could help contribute to the idea that no one ever had to be a part of a horrible team ever again? 00:02:55.520 --> 00:03:03.039 What if I could actually contribute to leading the way in making sure that that failure was a choice instead of an accident? 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:04.479 That's pretty strong. 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:06.639 So that was my motivation on that. 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:25.280 And um, and man, I think I think sometimes with the amount of leadership materials that are available for high capacity leaders, there's so many like resource guides, there's so much YouTube tracks out there, there's so many different leaders that you can partner with to making sure that you're building the right system strategies and structures so you can succeed. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:36.000 So if if you are failing in business, if you are failing in life right now, like unfortunately, I do my my opinion is that yeah, sometimes bad things do happen to us and we didn't see it coming. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:38.960 But more times than not, failure is a choice now. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:43.520 Yeah, there's definitely enough tools out there to help people out, that's for sure. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:48.960 Um, you help leaders fix misalignment before it destroys momentum. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.960 What does misalignment usually look like before it becomes obvious? 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:53.599 Yeah. 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:58.000 So when you think about this, that is that uh you're a high capacity leader. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:03:58.879 I mean, you're killing it. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:00.479 You do so many cool things, Martin. 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:01.599 And thank you. 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:06.879 Um but you also recognize this is that you wake up every single day with in strategy mode. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:09.120 You're thinking about, okay, what are the things that I can deliver? 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:10.240 How can I move the needle? 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:11.759 You you tracking with me? 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:12.479 Yeah. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:13.439 Every morning. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:17.360 But also to strategies that aren't effective cause burnout. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.399 So when you think about um, when you think about how you're putting your energy, the the alarm clock goes off in the morning. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:27.839 Sometimes before I even my feet even hit the side of the bed, I'm reaching over to my iPhone and I'm looking at my calendar. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:40.800 I'm looking at all the things I'm committing my time to, and I'm recognizing that sometimes, like, man, it gets so discouraging to see a day full of commitments without having proof that I'm actually getting any ROI on my time. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:43.759 Strategy without outcomes produces burnout. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:46.079 And so I'll say that over and over and over again. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:49.600 But structure is always your gateway to effective strategy. 00:04:49.759 --> 00:05:00.720 It's, you know, because I because I've because if you think about it, right, I like you have heard probably some of the most ridiculous ideas that you're going, there's no way that that strategy is going to work. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:02.079 That's a horrible idea. 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:13.680 Like we kind of deal with one with with even with like on our keynote or our creative film vertical that we do here, um, where it's like I write songs about ideas and topics that leaders don't talk about. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:18.639 Somebody told me once that that was a that was a horrible idea, that there's no way that that would possibly work. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.560 Well, the reason why it works is because I have great people that help execute it. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:23.519 Does that make sense? 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:23.920 Yeah. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:27.120 Like structure is always your gateway to effective strategy. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:41.519 So when we're thinking about alignment and to be able to get everything back in alignment so you don't waste your time on ineffective strategy, that's really what it comes down to is like, okay, are you communicating at the highest levels of clarity within your organization? 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.000 Do you have people in the right seats? 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.759 And here's a challenge for every leader that's possibly listening to this. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:57.439 Like on your org chart, if you can't answer these two things for every single person that currently works with you, number one, what is the one singular reason for their existence on your team? 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:00.879 Like, what's their one singular outcome that they should be the deliver delivering? 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:03.839 And then number two, how do you measure success? 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:07.360 Like if you can't answer those two things, you're already out of alignment. 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:08.560 So just fix those two things. 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:10.079 Get back in alignment. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:18.160 And speaking of burnouts, you talk about

building healthy, fun, collaborative, and trusting team cultures. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:21.920 So why does fun matter in high-performing teams? 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:34.639 Even in our relationship, like um, I I gave up on being the smartest person in the room a long time ago because I keep on bumping into guys like you that are just like 300 times smarter than I could ever want to be. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:43.759 And even as a keynote speaker, like you know, being smart and coming up with all the answers, et cetera, um, those things are like I want to be a good steward of knowledge. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:45.920 I want to be a continual learner and all those things. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.439 But people will only remember one thing about you, and that's how you make them feel. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:07:00.879 And so when you create a culture of fun, when you create a culture that there's a lot of emotional and psychological safety where people can put their guard down, you do get the best out of people. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:05.920 I've never once ever been a part of a team where creativity flourished without fun, ever. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:12.879 And creativity uh doesn't exist without healthy margins, healthy relationships, healthy collaborations. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:15.120 And so you wanna you want to be able to champion those things. 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:23.839 Now let's talk about your team's mythology, which includes targets, engagement, action, momentum, and synergy. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:29.199 Which one do leaders usually skip or underestimate? 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.000 Oh man, that's I've never had that question answered. 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:33.040 So let me start. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:33.920 I like it. 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.399 Yeah, that's that's really that's really good. 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:46.160 I think where the obvious one that's that's easy to the easiest one to fix out of all five of them is the target. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:55.600 For so just like I said earlier, so when you're looking at alignment, when you're looking at that org chart, for everybody on your team to recognize this is why I'm here. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:00.079 Um, this is my number one goal of of my of my role. 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:11.120 But within that, too, most people can't say, so like if you're on our platforms and if you're if you're on our on our app, you get this nudge every single Monday saying, hey, declare your target for this week. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:12.879 Like, what are you putting your energy on? 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.720 What are you, what's your what's your promise for you to be able to deliver for this week? 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:17.759 Super important. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.879 The one that people miss out on is the momentum card. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:26.240 Here's why is because I don't I don't look at momentum as far as like what more can we do so we can go faster. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:32.000 I look at momentum as do are you able to clearly identify the things that are slowing you down? 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:38.879 And do you have the ability to modify or remove those things from your life so you can go faster, so you can get bet more things done? 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:40.240 Like what's the big distraction? 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.879 Yeah, that's uh distractions are bad. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:43.840 That's yeah. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:44.879 Absolutely. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:46.559 That's how smart I am. 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:52.399 Well, I I I think when it comes to I distractions are are are bad. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:58.639 But distractions, like as long as you know that they're distractions, can help you become the best version of yourself. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:08:59.519 That is true. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:00.320 That is true. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.519 So here's a question for growing companies. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:09.440 When a company is growing or changing fast, what should leaders do first? 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:14.320 Clarify vision, improve communication, or rebuild systems? 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:15.759 All the above. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:23.440 Um Well, because if you think about it, is that um vision should be a vision should be act, it should be a noun and it should be a verb. 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.799 It should be an active living part of your organization organization. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.039 It should be a part of your living organism. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:38.000 So like um, like here with with teams.coach, also with within my on my on my creative team, we talk about vision as being active. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.080 It's something where it's inescapable. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:44.480 Um, like I don't want anybody on my team to ever have to guess what vi what our vision is. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:47.360 And so I want to make sure that that's active and that's aware. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:51.120 Same thing with our mission and our value statements and our attributes and our behaviors. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:53.600 Like it's it's active, it's in real time. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:10:02.960 Your systems, so when we think about it, just like structure is your gateway to effective, um, effective strategy, your systems are your gateway to effective scale. 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:15.120 So when you're thinking about an organization that's moving incredibly fast, your systems, you have to be able to adapt your systems in order for you to actually be scalable because the business world is changing at lightning speed now today. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.480 Your systems have to be adaptable to what's actually happening in real time today. 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:19.039 And guess what? 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:21.679 Your systems that were relevant yesterday, they're not gonna be relevant tomorrow. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:23.759 So so you know, keep that on your radar. 00:10:23.919 -->

00:10:27.360 But your speed of communication determines your speed of culture. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:35.039 So again, you want to keep so if structure is your gateway to effective strategy, communication is gonna be your secret weapon for you to be able to have effective strategies. 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:38.320 So all three of them are in sync or gotta be at the rest. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:38.559 Yeah. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:39.840 Great question. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:40.480 Great question. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:41.840 Yeah, that's a great answer. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:44.480 So let's get down to the match of the show. 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:53.440 If you could match every leader with just one habit or idea or even a practice to build a stronger team, what would it be? 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:57.440 Um I would say I would say the the practice of proximity. 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:11.600 Um and here's what I mean by that is you can't you can't um you can't build a great team and you can't replicate yourself in leadership unless you unless you spend time with people. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:16.240 And so build your team by design and know who you're inviting in. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:23.840 Surround yourself with the five loudest voices that you feel like are the people that can carry, carry, you know, the vision for your organization and for your business the best. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:30.399 But spend try to spend time with the people that you feel like that can actually replicate the things that you do. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:36.639 The faster that you can replicate who you are as a business leader will immediately give you return. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:50.879 Like, so the faster that you can do that, so when it comes to your character, when it comes to your competency, when it comes to your chemistry, when it comes to your centric value systems, when it comes to your vision, the faster that you can replicate those things in other people will determine the type of scale and impact that your organization can have. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:59.039 Because if I was if if if I'm coaching you or if I'm coaching other leaders, the first thing I'm going is like, okay, I need to figure out how to get more out of you. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:01.519 In order to get more out of you, I have to open up your bandwidth. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:05.679 So I need to figure out ways to be able to have more people do what you do inside of your organization. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:06.559 I like that. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:14.240 What is one action a leader can take this week to create more alignment and momentum with their team? 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:17.919 To be a contagious and vivacious visionary. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:32.720 Never allow your a day to go by without vision to be present in something that you're doing, whether it's through your email communication, whether that's through a team meeting, whether that's through email communication, whatever whatever it is, make sure that vision is alive. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:41.360 You know, one of the things, um, one of my friends, his name's Jeff Hazelett, he's the he's the he's the chairman of the board for the C-suite network and former CMO of Eastman Kodak. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:49.120 He puts he puts whatever it is in the signature line of of his email communication, and he changes it up like weekly. 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:58.399 So if there's times when I'll get an email from him and then I'll notice that he changed out the PS at the very bottom of his email, but he puts a PS in a signature line for his emails. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:02.559 So whatever the most important thing that he needs his team to know about for that week, it's there. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:05.519 Make sure that every single email has it on there so everybody gets it. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:06.320 Interesting. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:06.960 I like that. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:09.679 Very complicated, very simple. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:10.399 Yeah. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:17.200 So, Michael, where should people connect with you if they want to build a healthier, more aligned team? 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:19.120 Thank you for that opportunity. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:35.120 When I um when I first started executive coaching, I started off with the idea that again, like I said, I wanted to help people to be able to make sure that they were a part of a team that never fails and to for them to escape the idea of ever being a part of a bad team again. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:40.879 We started a a film series in which I combined creativity and micro keynotes. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:50.480 And the part of that vision was is that I wanted to be able to create a resource that that organizations can actually utilize our creative films within their companies. 00:13:50.639 --> 00:14:03.840 So if you're looking for creative resources and if you're looking for keynotes for conferences, team events, et cetera, or if you'd love to have me uh invited into any type of coaching experience, please check out michaelking junior.com. 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:10.240 So that's michaelkingjr.com, or go to teams.coach and you can see everything that we're currently doing in real time. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:14.879 And if you haven't seen the videos that Michael's putting out, you're missing out. 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:15.600 Amazing. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:17.279 That's all I'm gonna say. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:32.080 So to wrap it up, that was a great reminder, the conversation, that leadership is not just about having a vision, it is about creating the structure, trust, clarity, and momentum that help people move together. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:34.399 Thanks for joining us on the leadership match. 00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:39.279 Leadership is built one conversation, one connection, and one action at a time. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.279 If this conversation gave you one idea to act, um great. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:47.679 Subscribe, share it with another leader, and I'll see you in the next match. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:48.559 Thank you, Michael. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:50.000 Hey, thank you, Martin.