TLP268: The Science of Dream Teams

Mike Zani is the CEO of The Predictive Index, a company that allows recruiters to evaluate the cognitive abilities, personality traits, and behavioral tendencies of a potential employee to determine best fit. An avid sailor, Mike began his career in marketing and sales with Vanguard Sailboats and was a coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. In this week's episode, Mike shares his thoughts on the last 18 months, and the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants leadership style for constructive feedback. Listen in for Mike's analogy regarding the front and back of a t-shirt! Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:25] If you want a winning team, your leadership needs to be self-aware. [5:45] Every person wants to be managed differently. As leaders, it's important to adapt to these different management styles. [7:45] With such a fast-paced world, leaders need to take a step back and slow down to build a winning team. [9:55] Mike has a background in geology and sailing, he shares what he's learned in these two disciplines and how he leverages this to become a better leader. [12:15] Within 20 minutes, Mike could tell when a sailing team had a good or bad culture. [16:25] Mike shares a few of his shortcomings and how he's had to adapt to this new normal in the last 18 months. [17:15] Mike describes the "front of the T-shirt and back of the T-shirt" analogy. [18:45] Under pressure, people go back to their native code. [20:25] Burnout is real. A lot of leaders have been keeping a positive face, but it's hard to keep up after 18 months. [23:25] Leaders are the key drivers of culture, passion is one of the key pieces to driving that change. [26:00] You can't explain or minimalize a problem away. The best way to tackle it is head-on. [28:45] Don't wait around for the perfect strategy. [30:00] Mike offers advice on how best to give constructive feedback. [33:45] Mike shares a lesson he's learned that's made him a better leader. [34:55] Let go of your fear of failure and narrow your focus on what you can control. [36:35] Leadership is a lonely place, but it doesn't have to be. You need to reach out to a peer group to source different perspectives. [38:40] Listener challenge: Work on the front of your T-shirt and the back of your T-shirt. Quotable Quotes "The culture and the mission need to be relevant to the type of people that you're trying to recruit. If you want to attract world-class people, you have to relate to a culture and a mission that's meaningful and real." "The onus is on a great leader to modify themselves." "Do you want to win today or do you want to win long-term?" "Under stress, a lot of your 'back of the T-shirt' stuff rears its ugly head." "The lack of passion leads to tragic disengagement." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Mike: Predictiveindex.com, and Mike on LinkedIn Buy Mike's book: The Science of Dream Teams: How Talent Optimization Can Drive Engagement, Productivity, and Happiness "21 Most Compelling Qualities of a Great Leader" "5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became the CEO of The Predictive Index"