Adopt a 'First Team' Approach

Leaders, enhance trust and collaborative problem-solving across your organization to achieve overarching company goals, moving beyond just departmental successes.

Nov 29, 2023

Have you ever realized that your drive for your team’s success might sometimes clash with your company’s broader goals? It's a common pitfall for leaders: a hyper-focus on departmental wins can cause you to lose sight of the company’s vision and objectives.

Is there a better approach?

Enter the 'first team' concept — a mindset shift that flips the script. Instead of solely prioritizing your team’s needs, your focus and accountability shift towards your fellow leaders. It’s all about putting peer collaboration and company-wide goals ahead of direct team management and metrics.

Feeling any resistance to that idea? If so, that’s a cue there’s something valuable here for you to explore.

Here’s why this is a meaningful thought experiment:

The ‘first team’ mindset doesn't just foster a shared vision and values; it sets the tone for a future that's both positive and collaborative. It builds resilience, enhances decision-making agility, and turns your company into a talent and investment magnet.

For founders and CEOs, nurturing this 'first team' mindset is key. You’re the architects of this cultural shift, creating an environment where expansive thinking and company-wide collaboration are the norm.

And for VPs and senior leaders, this shift from a narrow to an expansive focus isn't just good for the company; it’s a pivotal step in your career development, preparing you for broader leadership roles and greater impact.

As we delve into the 'first team' concept, consider how embracing this approach could reshape not only how you lead but also how your company succeeds.

Let's explore what this pivotal shift looks like in practice.

Reflection

Here’s a quick litmus test:

Look at your leadership team's alignment. Are they united in their efforts, working toward common goals, or are they chasing individual team objectives? If the latter rings true, it's a signal to realign with the company's core mission.
Reflect on the recent decisions at the top. Were they a result of collective wisdom, or did they seem like a series of solo acts? The way your leaders arrive at decisions can tell you a lot about whether you're operating as a unified force or just a group of individuals with titles.
Consider the dynamics among your leaders. Is there a genuine sense of camaraderie driving their interactions, or is it polite co-existence? The strength of these relationships is a critical component — it’s what transforms a group of individuals into a formidable leadership team.

If any of these prompts raise red flags, it might work considering the ‘first team’ approach. The energy and unity of your leadership team set the tone for the entire company.

Framework

The overarching principle of the ‘first team’ mindset is that leaders don’t just lead their teams, most importantly, they lead the company, together.

Here's the difference:

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Prioritize ‘first team’ over ‘team first’.
Company success takes precedence over departmental victories.
Every leader is accountable for the company’s overall performance.
All decisions align with the company’s long-term strategic goals.
Trust is the fundamental element that unites the leadership team.

TACTICAL STEPS FOR VPs

As a VP, embracing the ‘first team’ mindset involves reshaping your approach in several key areas:

Resourcing: When it comes to resource allocation, like filling an open position, always weigh what’s best for the company over personal team interests. For instance, if company resources are tight, consider whether it makes more sense to keep that headcount for your team’s goals or reallocate it to serve broader company objectives.
Collaborating: Your role is no longer confined to guiding just your team. It’s about contributing to the overall direction of the company and supporting other teams. This doesn’t mean having all the answers — especially outside your expertise — but rather, asking the right questions that foster new ideas, perspectives, and holistic thinking.
Decision-Making: Encourage healthy debates and open dialogue. When disagreements arise, adopt the ‘disagree and commit’ philosophy to maintain a united front. It’s about voicing opinions, engaging in constructive debates, and ultimately, committing to a decision for the sake of the company’s unified voice.
Accountability: Recognize that the success of the ‘first team’ relies on everyone’s contributions. Be transparent, set clear expectations, and focus on continuous improvement. Individual accountability and mutual dependence are crucial in driving the team towards common goals and overall success.
Fostering a ‘First Team’ Within Your Team: You play a critical role in mirroring the ‘first team’ mindset within your own leadership team. Encourage this mindset among your direct reports, emphasizing the importance of their alignment with company-wide objectives over individual or departmental goals. Cultivate an environment where your team leaders work collaboratively, supporting each other and the broader company vision.

By adopting these tactical steps, you can significantly contribute to cultivating a ‘first team’ culture that aligns with the company’s vision and propels collective success.

TACTICAL STEPS FOR CEOs

For CEOs, effectively instilling the ‘first team’ mindset in your organization involves specific leadership tactics:

Set Clear Expectations: Be explicit about the behaviors you expect from your leadership team. This includes prioritizing the company's overall success, demonstrating mutual accountability, and engaging in transparent communication.
Foster Unity: Treat your executive team as a unified group rather than separate entities. Encourage collaboration and collective decision-making. Regular team-building exercises and strategy sessions can reinforce this unity.
Encourage Teamwork: Actively encourage leaders to support one another. This might involve cross-departmental mentorship programs or collaborative projects that require input from various team heads. The goal is to create a culture where leaders are invested in each other's success as much as their own.
Lead by Example: As the CEO, your actions and attitudes set the tone. Live the 'first team' concept. Show trust in your team, engage in open and honest communication, and make decisions that reflect the company's collective interests over individual departmental gains.
Reward ‘First Team’ Leadership: Implement a recognition system that rewards leaders who exemplify the ‘first team’ mentality. Acknowledge and celebrate when leaders make decisions that benefit the entire company, even if it means compromising their team’s immediate interests. This approach will reinforce the value of putting the company’s overarching goals first and encourage others to follow suit.

By taking these steps, you can create an environment where the ‘first team’ mentality flourishes, driving your organization towards a more collaborative, unified future.

Mini Case Study

I want to take you back to my early days at Twitter, stepping in as the first revenue executive. The goal was clear: build and scale the enterprise and mid-market sales teams to drive significant revenue growth. And we did just that—escalating from zero to $35 million in ARR in just 18 months. My team grew exponentially from one to a force of 150.

During this meteoric rise, my instincts as a leader were put to the test. I was in the trenches, fighting for every resource, every approval needed to ensure my team's victory. This laser focus paid off in numbers, but it wasn't without its side effects. In striving for my team's success, I inadvertently contributed to a competitive atmosphere that fostered silos rather than collaboration. Looking across the leadership landscape, trust was scarce—each leader was an island.

In this reflection, there’s a powerful lesson that applies to all of us. While it's essential to be a tenacious advocate for your team, it's equally important to cultivate trust and break down barriers with your peers. A 'first team' approach would have prompted us to share wins and challenges, to support each other's goals as fervently as we did our own.

It's a shift from protective leadership to collaborative guidance, from departmental champions to company-wide strategists. It’s so clear to me now that the strength of an organization lies in its united leadership front, not just the prowess of its individual teams.

I encourage you to keep this lesson close: our collective efforts and shared trust are the ultimate drivers of not just sustainable revenue growth but a thriving, cohesive company culture.

Challenge

This month, I challenge you to put the 'first team' mentality to the test. Here’s how you can start:

Assess the Current Climate: Take an honest look at your leadership team dynamics. Are there signs of silos or a lack of trust? Acknowledge these realities as your starting point.
Initiate the Conversation: Bring the concept of the 'first team' to your next leadership meeting. Open the floor to discussions about collective goals versus individual department successes. How does the current mindset align with the idea of 'first team'?
Set One Collective Goal: Choose a goal that can only be achieved through cross-departmental collaboration. This shouldn’t be a goal that one team can reach on their own, but one that requires every leader to contribute from their area of expertise.
Reflect and Regroup: After a set period, reconvene with your leaders. Did working towards a collective goal change the dynamic? What did it bring to light about your current leadership framework?

This isn't about overnight transformation. It's about willingness to evolve and a commitment to trial, error, and learning. By taking these steps, you're not just evaluating a new leadership strategy; you're opening doors to a culture that champions transparency, trust, and collective success.

Remember, the strength of your company lies as much in the unity of your leadership as in the individual capabilities of your teams.

Final Note

Embracing the 'first team' mindset is about shaping a leadership narrative that's bigger than any one of us. It's about aligning with a vision that lifts every department and every team member along with it.

I'm eager to hear how the 'first team' philosophy resonates with you. Leave a comment and share your thoughts — if you give the approach a try, your experience could be a guide for others.