Division Cripples Societies... and Businesses too.

There are three species that have survive thousands of years on earth and continue to grow in number. They are ants, termites, and... wait for it... people.  What do they all have in common? They work in teams and live in communities.  They instinctively know that all of them working individually can't accomplish as much as the whole group together. 

President Bill Clinton once said "to improve the state of a nation takes education and inclusion."  Any nation can be improved with these two things.    And, education refers not only to formal learning but access to information as well.  Experts say that this principle applies to businesses too. 

Here is one case that illustrates the point. The country of Singapore went from $1000 per capita income to $55000 per capita income? Now the country is acclaimed as being one of the top five countries to live; its in the top five countries for education.  The country is even rated as having the best airport, and being the cleanest country.  How did all that happen in two decades?   The powers-that-be realized that division cripples societies.  Shared responsible,  shared prosperity and shared opportunity allow a country to flourish. The same is true of companies.  

Leaders need to be able to explain what is happening and include people in the process.  Research from The Bob Nelson Group, Creative Leadership Council, Society of Human Resource Management, and others, shows that followers feel respected when leaders take the time to explain and help them understand decisions. They also appreciate understanding how changes and expectations will effect them.  Even if they disagree with the leader's choices, they will still feel valued. Also, leaders need to express their vision -- where the team is now and where they should go.

Just as important is a leader's willingness to invite opposing viewpoints.  Let's look at another example. President Nelson Mandela appointed individuals who supported apartheid onto his legislative Cabinet. He realized that those differences of opinion might make them the best qualified persons for those roles.  

Companies work very much the same way.  Leaders benefit from including those who are different from them.  It positions them to anticipate problems, formulate contingency plans, improve processes, and innovate.

A smart team makes better decisions than a lone genius.