Webinar Summary: How To Build High-Performing Agile Leadership Teams

Over the last year, many clients have called on us to secure them a high-performing, agile leader. But building such teams

Over the last year, many clients have called on us to secure them a high-performing, agile leader. But building such teams isn't easy. That's why we decided to host a webinar on this exact topic. Held on 16th June, our Managing Director, Wayne Brophy, was joined by a panel of expert speakers:

• Pete Lowe: Professional Speaker and Leadership Consultant
• Mert Salur: Co-Founder of Getir
• Simon Perks: Managing Director of Squarcle

During the session, each revealed their varying experiences and offered advice on how to build the most effective and agile leadership teams. Read on to gain the insights...

The importance of failure

When it comes to the soft skills needed to become an agile leader, perhaps a rather unexpected one was the ability to fail. Yet all three speakers felt this was crucial. For Simon Perks, humility is necessary. He explained that when you’re agile, you do things quickly. You make mistakes fast, then correct them and change course. And this should be accepted, especially when you’re undertaking new activities – they haven’t been tested, so errors are bound to occur. Pete Lowe believes failure is a part of any environment. He quotes Kevin Roberts, the former CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi: ‘Fail fast, learn fast, fix fast.’ You need to have the mindset that learning from failure is your next success. It’s not about simply surviving, it’s about going for it again. Whilst Mert Salur says Getir don't celebrate failures, they adopt to the stance of 'act like the company is yours'. They took risks and experienced tremendous growth as a result. So they don’t want people who are afraid of failure to simply sustain the business. They want those who can make it grow tenfold.

Confidence vs ego

Another necessary soft skill revealed was confidence – and even ego. Mert says we need to believe in ourselves; we need to dream things, but work together to get there. The only way to reach incredible goals (like $1 billion unicorn status!) is to believe you can. Simon and Pete agree, with the latter explaining that people should bring their ego into the room, rather than leave it outside. He adds that ego and confidence go hand in hand, the danger is when the ego becomes an egotist. But it’s not about being brash, outgoing, arrogant or noisy. Pete’s met plenty of quiet people who are driven and confident under the surface.

A learning mindset

Our panel also discussed the importance of culture when developing leaders. Simon advised that you can’t jump down people’s throats when things go wrong, you need to create a culture where people feel like they can take risks and be agile. Pete explained that companies don’t necessarily have to rely on external training courses to teach staff members. Instead, you can instil a real learning mindset within your team – new talent can acquire skills and knowledge from others, turning a company from good to great. He believes mentoring programmes are worthwhile too, whether they’re internal, or involve someone from outside who has a different perspective and fresh ideas. At Getir, it’s about creating conditions where success can only happen through agility. While they do put some first-time managers on courses, many external companies don’t offer training that matches their speed. As a result, they ask them to customise sessions to suit their business’ agile nature, rather than being theoretical.

Spotting your superstars

If you want to secure the top 1% of talent, you’ll need an environment that can support this, says Pete. You have to let people loose to see how innovative they are. And if they have different mindsets, that’s even better. After all, if everyone thinks alike, nothing will change. Mert explained how Getir puts its people in the game before they’re ready. He adds that when they have an opportunity, they have the chance to shine, and that’s how you can see who your superstars are.

Our webinar whitepaper

More information on how to spot your superstars will be available in our whitepaper soon. We'll cover all the expert insights from the webinar, including the importance of agility, the value of personality, and each speaker’s tips for building high-performing agile leadership teams. Watch this space!

Watch our webinar

Did you miss our panel of experts, covering the soft skills to watch out for and the importance of a learning mindset, as well as what your hiring process should look like if you choose to look beyond upskilling your current team? Click the image below to watch our webinar recording!