Easter Eggs

How do you build a team of exceptional people? One often overlooked leadership skill is the ability to attract, select, and nurture talent. In my experience, high-performing teams always had a few members with an uncanny knack for spotting hidden potential in others. These leaders could find the "easter eggs" - the unexpected or unknown qualities in a person that could transform a good team into a great one.

Why do these hidden abilities often stay hidden? Sometimes the ability doesn't seem relevant to the work, or the person doesn't realize they have it or how to use it. Great leaders create an environment where people feel safe to be themselves, allowing their hidden talents to emerge. When this happens, leaders can recognize, acknowledge, and utilize those abilities.  In contrast, teams that aren't comfortable with themselves or their environment tend to stick to the lowest common denominator of behavior and ability, masking their true potential. While this might create a superficial appearance of harmony, it's actually a warning sign of impending failure. A high-performing team embraces conflict, disruption, and even performance issues, alongside openness, compassion, and a shared purpose. These "easter eggs" form the bedrock of a high-performing team.

Finding "easter eggs" isn't a walk in the park. Creating a comfortable environment where people feel safe to express themselves is challenging. Systemic structures, policies, and procedures in most work environments actively hinder the creation of an expressive environment, and while leaders can try to fix these systemic barriers, change is often slow. So, what's the solution? Here are some of my go-to practices for discovering those “easter eggs” when working with teams:

Dust or Diamonds

I'm always intrigued by people who've faced challenges in their previous jobs - it sparks my curiosity. Have they been ground down to dust by their experiences, or have they emerged as diamonds? Did their past make them bitter, or did it forge strength and resilience?

The challenge lies in uncovering the diamond, which isn't always easy. Past struggles can leave people overly timid or overly aggressive, suggesting they've been ground to dust. However, a leader who genuinely wants to understand someone's story, shows patience, and encourages them to try again can quickly reveal the diamond within.

Diamond people aren't flawless; their past has left its marks. But these imperfections are where their true value lies. I've learned that my flaws, and those of my teams, are our greatest opportunities for growth and high performance. The flaw is a sign of strength, uniqueness, and resilience. Staff who have survived difficult environments with the proper nurturing can be exceptionally effective and compassionate leaders. 

Currency

Another strategy I use to uncover “easter eggs” is to find out how people stay relevant and current with their profession, skills, and passions. Discovering their perspective on where they stand now and where they're headed is key to understanding how they generate purpose. By uncovering how and what someone does to stay current reveals how they connect with others and apply what they learn. A high-performing team generates meaning and purpose, connecting their work with other teams, the organization, and society.

It's often less about what they're staying current on and more about how they stay relevant. How do they acquire knowledge? What experiences are they creating for themselves? Who are they engaging with to stay current and learn? How do they apply or test what they're learning, and with whom? Building relationships where people openly share their approaches is crucial for a leader. A leader must also instill the desire to be relevant and current. The leader needs to be both provocative and supportive. Challenging opinions and ideas isn't enough; can they also answer the "So what?" question after expressing their opinion? The "So what?" is about depth and breadth, contemplating implications, and engaging others around those meanings.

On the margins

The last “easter egg” I always look for is ensuring that new members can walk the line between fitting in and standing out. Think of a high-performing team like a skilled tightrope walker—balanced in the present,  always stepping forward into the future, yet never forgetting the lessons that ground them. Building a team that embodies this dynamic balance requires members with diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives.

Of course, it’s important for new members to connect with the team and its current work. But it’s far more crucial that they bring something unexpected to the table—those “easter eggs” that will propel the team to new heights in the face of an unpredictable future. Effective leaders recognize their team’s limitations and actively seek to add members, skills, and abilities that exist on the fringes of the group’s current expertise. The goal isn't to maintain homogeneity,  consistency, or safety. It’s to foster a team that can not only rise to the occasion when needed, but also nimbly adapt and evolve to meet the demands of an ever-changing landscape. A team that thrives on the margins of a problem, embracing the unconventional and exploring uncharted territory, will innovate and succeed far more frequently than a team fixated solely on core values and abilities. 

These three "easter eggs" are crucial for leaders to discover not only in their team members but, more importantly, within themselves. Leaders who can forge themselves into diamonds amidst adversity, who consistently seek growth and stay ahead of the curve, and who fearlessly operate outside their comfort zones will not only excel as leaders but will also cultivate high-performing teams.