Teamwork: the strengths advantage
Teamwork is about working well as part of a group, valuing collaboration, and contributing to collective goals
For product and transformation leaders, it’s the strength that turns individual effort into sustained organisational performance
At the senior Head of, Director, General Manager, and C-Suite level, teamwork becomes the leadership quality that signals alignment and shared accountability. Most leadership teams are a group of people who work individually and coordinate with each other occasionally when required. Teamwork asks that they move together as a collective team first, supported by individual moments in service of the collective goal
Examples of under use. A Head of Engineering who underuses teamwork may operate in silos, prioritising their own roadmap whilst ignoring dependencies or the roadmaps set by their counterparts in the business. A General Manager in Product who fails to foster collaboration across silos risks reinforcing division, slowing down their launch to market, and eroding trust
Examples of optimal use. A Head of Product who applies teamwork well might build cross-functional teams from day 1, ensuring diverse perspectives are integrated into decision-making every step along the way. A Chief Technology Officer who models teamwork by engaging openly with delivery teams at every level of the organisation signals respect, strengthens culture, and accelerates adoption of their strategic priorities
Examples of overuse. Teamwork taken too far can become conformity and decisions end up being made by committee. A Director in Delivery who prioritises harmony over healthy debate risks suppressing innovation. A CEO who insists on consensus in every decision may slow progress down to a crawl, frustrating stakeholders and weakening delivery outcomes
The sweet spot is teamwork that balances collaboration with accountability. Product and transformation leaders who use this strength well create cohesion, resilience, and momentum. All critical ingredients for success
Research shows that leaders who know, apply, and maximise their strengths experience higher resilience, stronger influence, and improved performance outcomes. Teamwork is just one of the 24 strengths that we explore in The Strengths Advantage
The Strengths Advantage
Book your team into the half-day workshop to tighten collaboration, or choose the 90-minute 1:1 leader session to see what type of team mate you are in your everyday!