Four lessons learned for how to effectively engage your teams — All the Way Leadership Blog

Captain Hothead was mad. Our unit returned from the field and we were missing a sensitive piece of equipment which is a big deal in the military. No one was going home until we found the missing item. Captain Hothead called his leadership team into his office and exploded on us. How did we let this happen? Why were we all so stupid? He was ranting like a lunatic, yelling and screaming for all to hear. Suddenly someone knocked on his office door and let him know the missing item was found. The problem was solved. I was a young lieutenant in the Army, wondering if I was experiencing lessons learned about how to effectively engage members of a leadership team. My hunch was correct.

No one wants to feel like a new recruit at boot camp.

Lesson Learned #1 — take the blame for any failure

Captain Hothead did not understand the first lessons learned for how to effectively engage your teams — take the blame for any failure. As a leader, it is crucial that you hold yourself accountable for all the results your team produces — the good, the bad, and even the ugly. Take the blame when your team fails. Own it. Don’t throw your team…