S3 E103 – Start with a Compelling Why

In the season three premiere of the For Love of Team podcast, host Winston Faircloth introduced his new book, 'Team Love: 28 Ways to Demonstrate Caring at Work.' This episode shares insights from Chapter One, focusing on the importance of starting with a compelling 'why.' Winston narrates the challenges of an executive team facing an uncertain future and highlights how a clear vision can galvanize a team. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, Winston underscores the significance of answering 'why' to foster creativity, ownership, and trust within the team. He provides actionable steps for leaders to prioritize ideas and communicate their 'why' effectively, reinforcing the overarching theme of spreading team love across the organization. 

00:00 Introduction to Season Three 

00:24 Chapter One: Start with the Compelling Why 

01:21 The Visionary Leader's Superpower 

02:47 Embracing the Why 

04:29 Practical Steps to Define Your Why 

06:21 Conclusion and Call to Action 

#TeamLOVE Book. Join the bold book writing journey as we write and share our first draft chapters from our upcoming book - Team Love: 28 Ways to Demonstrate Caring at Work here in season 3 of the For Love of Team podcast.

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Transcript

Chapter 1 - Start with a Compelling Why  

Judith: Welcome to the premiere of season three of the For Love of Team podcast. 

This season, we are taking you behind the curtain as Winston Faircloth writes his new book, Team Love, 28 Ways to Demonstrate Caring at Work. Each week, we will share excerpts from a new chapter, sharing the key concepts and takeaways to help you support your team as a visionary leader. 

Today, Winston shares the introductory chapter of the book, covering a bit of his story becoming a Team Love leader.  

Now here is your host, Winston Faircloth.  

 Chapter one. Start with the compelling why. Tomorrow's our team's executive team meeting, and we've been floundering for months. We're facing an uncertain future. Our marketing and sales are trudging along, and customers are either indifferent or unhappy. Team members are [00:01:00] defecting in greater numbers. 

Something must change, but what? Then overnight, a flash of brilliance finally arrives. The answer to an elusive question that's bedeviled you and the team. A vision so bold, so perfect for the circumstances; we must act now. So, I'll dash out this email, and who cares if it's 3: 45 in the morning? Well, thankfully, we have a visionary leader like you at the helm, who loves big challenges... who sees plenty of opportunities for growth. This is your superpower. And often because we have the most information, the most command of context, we can generate multiple competing options that come naturally to us. So later, over lunchtime, we enthusiastically, as the leader, bring these alternatives to the team, [00:02:00] casting our vision in multiple scenarios, to create ownership and buy in. 

We live for these moments. We're brainstorming. We're problem solving. We're spit balling, engaging our talented leaders in our most pressing problems. Yet, our effort to involve our leaders in this work can sometimes be met with unexpected silence. We can forget the power of our position and our words, especially in a group setting. 

Our ideation can feel like delegation, overwhelming the team with lots of new projects. And clearly, unless we clearly state our intention, and invite our teams into problem solving, we can cause lots of confusion. So, let's start with a compelling why. One of the most helpful things a leader can do to foster creativity with your team is to start with a compelling why. 

And as a visionary leader myself, I used to hate the question why. Amid the excitement of casting a new vision on our team, Amanda would carefully listen for ways that she could help make my ideas, our ideas, come to life. And after sharing how this vision could solve problems for our clients, she naturally asked many questions for clarification, like why? 

And yet with each question, I could feel the resistance rise up within me. In many ways, I felt like she was questioning my vision. And inside, I'm thinking, you know, I've tapped you to take on this important project and I trust you to do it. That should be enough. And then one day, Amanda taught me to embrace the why. 

She said to me, in essence, Winston, when I understand [00:04:00] the why, it helped me, it helps me anticipate the project's needs. It unleashes my creativity in new ways. I feel more ownership and excitement to get things done. Well, today, now I welcome the why. Why has become one of the two most important questions I can answer as a leader, especially when we're beginning something new. 

Casting a compelling why helps our team members understand the potential benefits of when we act and also addresses the consequences if we do not. Ultimately, why? unleashes newfound creativity and purpose, making work more fulfilling, building trust and understanding, helping to spread team love across the entire organization. 

Now here's some ideas for some further action for you. If why is one of your challenges, having a compelling why is one of your challenges. So first, as a visionary leader, you probably have more ideas than bandwidth on your team. So, you may need to begin with several potential solutions to the problem at hand. 

And on a separate document or piece of paper, write a two-to-three-word title for each of these options you're considering. Okay, now next, list out several statements about each option, each looking at two critical possible paths. First, the consequences for not acting. What happens if you don't take action? 

And secondly, what are the key benefits for taking action? Now, looking at those side by side can be super helpful for you. You're going to look at those side by side, because it's going to help you determine of all these ideas you've laid out, are there any options you would prioritize ahead of others? 

Cause you see significant consequences for not taking action now. and or significant benefits for acting now. So would you prioritize one of these ideas above the others? And in picking this most compelling option, we need you now to construct your why you're moving forward with this particular idea. 

Why is this solution most compelling to you? Why should it matter to your team, your customers, your partners? And why must we act now? And what are the consequences for inaction? Edit and simplify this simple, this statement until it becomes memorable and compelling. The process of you deciding between several great options solves a big challenge for your team, namely keeping them focused on a single project or priority at this decisive moment with a very compelling why. 

Judith: Thanks, Winston!  

We invite you to share your feedback and biggest takeaways on our website at ForLoveofTeam.com/blog  and look for today’s chapter episode. 

Thanks for listening.  

Remember that by loving our people who love our customers, your visionary leadership comes to life.  

We hope to see you next time on the For Love of Team podcast.