by Bruce LaRue, Ph.D. and Jim Solomon

Seeing the Operation Through the Eyes of Your Team – As an Integrator Leader, you can’t over-communicate; and communication requires learning to listen as well. Listen closely to your own people and utilize the critical operational intelligence that exists throughout the organization. Let your team know that you are not only open to their input, but that you expect it. That is, you want them to analyze and improve processes, rather than simply follow them. In fact, you want them to come up with the entire plan while you mentor and guide them just enough along the way to assure that the plan becomes theirs and not yours.

Listen to Your Team

Be sure to listen for what is not being said. Are they missing critical details? Are they thinking too narrowly from their own functional perspective? Are they missing the big picture? Who else should be in the meeting that might be affected by the problem at hand? Effective listening and questioning are critical traits of an Integrator Leader. Once everyone feels comfortable that you have listened fully and understood their ideas, it is time to think out loud with your team.

Team Environment 

To create an environment where feedback is encouraged, you as the leader must model this behavior by routinely asking for feedback and input from your team. Conversely, you should also challenge your team’s ideas, as appropriate, based on the needs of the mission. It is their job to sell you on the merits of their idea by explaining why it will benefit the mission, and it is your job to explain why the idea cannot be implemented when that is the case.

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