The Catalyst Effect

Jerry Toomer, Craig Caldwell, Steve Weitzenkorn, Chelsea Clark

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781787435681
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Have you ever known colleagues who the minute they stepped into the conference room, on stage, or onto the playing field, elevated the performance of everyone around them? Someone whose impact within the team could be seen in nearly everything that was said and done?
These individuals are catalysts - they spark excellence in the behavior and the performance of the entire team.
The Catalyst Effect identifies the behaviors and skills needed to lead from wherever you are, regardless of your role or title. It describes powerful leadership and teamwork principles—12 clearly defined competencies, based on field research with professionals in business, sports, the arts, and non-profit organizations—that will elevate the performance of individuals, teams, and your entire organization.
This essential guide will show you how to learn and practice these catalytic competencies and help your group and organization achieve greater success, improve team dynamics, and help teammates grow in stature while magnifying their value.

CORNERSTONE 1

BUILDING CREDIBILITY

TRUST, INTEGRITY, AND CREDIBILITY: HALLMARKS OF A CATALYST

Who will rally with you or for you in the absence of trust? In the absence of trust who will rush to your side to help move the team forward?

How important is it for colleagues and teammates to believe in your integrity, to have confidence in your motivations, and to have a conviction that you’re shooting straight with them and will stand behind your words?

The key question is, what can truly be accomplished with others without personal credibility? Think of a person you would follow to the ends of the Earth. He or she is probably someone you trust, believe in, and whom you see as fully committed to achieving common goals and objectives. They invigorate those around them. Credibility is the grease for catalytic action. When it exists in large doses, the gears of teamwork can spin smoother and faster. Being that lubricant, and being viewed by others as such, sets up the catalytic team engine to run at peak effectiveness. And it sparks reciprocity among team members, which builds greater trust and optimism, and further accelerates a team’s progress.

Building Credibility is the first of the four cornerstones of the Catalyst Effect. It is the most basic building block and is a critical piece of being a catalytic leader. Leadership researchers and acclaimed authors, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, have determined that “…credibility is the foundation of leadership…” (Kouzes & Posner, 2011, p. xvii). We would extend that beyond leadership to all relationships that work. The following three chapters explore the path for building credibility by focusing on three individual competences:

• Acts with Integrity and Inspires Trust.
• Communicates Clearly.
• Invigorates with Optimism.

Of the more than 80 interviews we conducted across the sectors of business, sports, and the arts, virtually everyone pointed to credibility as the foundation for being a positive catalytic influence.

1

ACTS WITH INTEGRITY AND INSPIRES TRUST

Definition: Lives authentically. Demonstrates ethical principles and values in a manner that promotes trust.

Counter Behaviors: Deceitful, dishonest, fails to meet commitments.

IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST SHOWING UP

Against great odds and most predictions, the Butler University men’s basketball team played in two NCAA Final Four Championship games in 2010 (versus Duke) and 2011 (versus UConn). With an enrollment of about 4500 students, Butler was the smallest school to play for a national championship since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Ron Nored was a key — some would say the key to the team’s success. He is not a household name in college basketball lore, but he was a glue-guy. Ron, a six-foot point guard, was not a stat-stuffing player but ultimately was pivotal to the team’s success. He rarely scored the most points or grabbed the most rebounds, yet he typified the concept of the no-stats all-star who makes everyone better when he or she is on the floor.

In an interview with Kent Sterling, a CBS Sports host, Nored recalled the commitment of the team and the trust they established (Sterling, 2010). He spoke of getting up promptly at 5:30 am when the alarm went off, and by 6:30 sharp he was practicing hard with his teammates. He loved the sight of the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse and recalled how the combination of the gym’s cool, fresh air and the sounds of bouncing basketballs were simply beautiful. He and his teammates were well beyond the mental challenge of getting out of bed, and to a person, each player was pumped up and ready to become a little bit better that day.

When we meet someone new, we quickly answer two questions: ‘Can I trust this person and can I respect this person?’

— Amy Cuddy, Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges (2015)

Of course, each player showed up on time and ready to practice, but Nored’s enthusiasm and influence stood out. He usually led by being the first player in the gym, making it a point to personally say something to each other player, chat with the coaches, and set the standard for early morning hustle. He served as a glue-guy on a high intensity team of highly skilled athletes. As a result, there was a trust among this group of young men and a commitment to practicing hard and giving of oneself to improve as individuals and as a team. The coaches were caring mentors, always there with a smile and a “great to see you!”

Through this reflection, an important slice of what constitutes integrity and trust is revealed: reliability, demonstrated commitment, high performance ethic, and being present for others. These factors exemplify a desire to produce and help others excel. Yet they are only part of the equation. They prove that one can be counted on. Still, there is an additional, equally important side of integrity and trust that the team exemplified. Let’s take a look.

Brad Stevens, head coach of the Bulldogs during those tournament runs, shared his perspective with us as to why Ron was so critical to the team (personal communication, December 14, 2009). While Stevens mentioned that Ron had a respectable number of assists, something expected of players in Ron’s position, and his ability to stifle opposing guards, he didn’t spend much time talking about them. Instead, he emphasized that Ron brought authenticity and credibility to the team in everything he did whether it was in the locker room, on the practice court, in games, or in his school and personal life. Everyone knew they could trust Ron to do what he said he would do for the good of the team and his teammates. He was consistent in all that he said and what we all saw him do. Beyond that, though, Nored embodied a set of core beliefs that reflected the philosophy of The Butler Way, crafted by legendary coach Tony Hinkle in the 1920s (Hein, n.d.):

1. Humility: Those who humble themselves will be exalted.
2. Passion: Do not be lukewarm; commit to excellence.
3. Unity: Do not divide our house; team first.
4. Servanthood: Make teammates better; lead by giving.
5. Thankfulness: Learn from every circumstance.

People form opinions about the integrity of their teammates, coworkers, and friends based on observable patterns of behavior.

Nored brought Hinkle’s five core principles to life in his day-to-day actions on the court as well as in the classroom by

• Being humble. Those who were in class with Ron would never suspect that he was a star player. He worked diligently alongside every other student and expected no special treatment.
• Expressing his commitment to excellence. He showed up early, stayed late, watched game film, and did all the little things elite, committed players do on and off the court.
• Putting team first. His body language and encouraging words showed he put the team ahead of himself. If there was conflict in the locker room, he helped end it in a manner that was best for the team, not for certain individuals.
• Displaying little ego. He exuded an enthusiasm that was directed toward helping others, whether with defensive positioning, shooting technique, or homework. He was the epitome of Coach Stevens’ widely quoted comment: “We’re building a culture of accountability, trust, and togetherness. Entitlement will not be tolerated.”
• Exhibiting incredible curiosity. He was dedicated to studying the opposing players’ habits and developing offensive and defensive strategies.

Consistently applying positive values leads to trust, and trust leads to credibility. Being true to one’s values, especially in high pressure and challenging situations, when it would be easier or more convenient to be expedient or self-focused, is the mark of character. If those around you know what you stand for and that you will consistently adhere to those values, they will trust that you will act accordingly. Situational ethics or the inconsistent application of values rarely engenders respect.

WHAT IS INTEGRITY? WHAT IS TRUST? WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT?

How can others tell if you have integrity? From an impact standpoint, all that matters is what others see and believe about you, not what you may feel or think about yourself. People form opinions about the integrity of their teammates, coworkers, and friends based on observable patterns of behavior: honesty in how they portray their own work and describe circumstances, truthfulness in owning up to mistakes or lapses in judgment, application of ethical principles in decision-making and handling of routine and difficult situations, and moral constancy. It is through these actions that integrity, an intangible, becomes visible and evident to others. Evidence of integrity affects how people react to you.

How can others tell if they can trust you? Integrity is an integral part of trust. Trust, however, encompasses a broader set of characteristics. Others learn to trust you when they see that your stated intentions match your actions and that you will deliver on what you promise. Trust grows stronger when you consistently deliver on those commitments and behave ethically. When others trust you, they know you will do what’s right and be a reliable team member. Trust also creates a feeling of emotional safety that leads others to confide and work in partnership with you, knowing their disclosures and vulnerabilities will not be exploited. It creates a feeling that you are on the same team in actuality and in personal spirit.

People may need time to assess your integrity, trustworthiness, and overall character once they meet you. Conclusions are usually reached over the course of multiple experiences, especially in the absence of contrary evidence, such as obvious lies, shading of the truth, cheating, and other unethical behavior. While the performance and teamwork benefits of high integrity may roll out slowly, the adverse consequences of unethical behavior are immediate:

• Disbelief in what you stand for and your dedication to supporting team objectives.
• Loss of credibility.
• Diminished cooperation, collaboration, and communication.
• Guardedness and avoidance.
• Others watching their backs, feeling suspicious, fearing betrayal.

When you behave unethically you may also find yourself defending against blame, fending off accusations, or being caught in a web of deceit. These inhibiting behaviors negatively impact performance. Energy and focus is diverted from accomplishing team goals to protecting personal interests.

High integrity and trust have the opposite impact: greater belief in who you are, higher credibility, greater collaboration and communication, openness, partnership, and uninhibited pursuit of common goals. These fuel catalytic performance.

Applied values drive how you resolve problems, settle ethical dilemmas, develop and nurture relationships, and follow through on your intentions.

LIVE YOUR VALUES CONSISTENTLY

Ron Nored’s values and skills did not single-handedly propel the Butler Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Championship finals — that was achieved by the entire team. Yet he was a catalyst and the lubricant that helped drive the Bulldogs’ success against much higher-ranked teams from far larger schools. These were teams well stocked with “blue-chip” players that Butler, as a small school with fewer athletic resources, had greater difficulty attracting. Nored promoted Butler’s values and the idea that, to make the team greater than the sum of its parts, they had to trust each other to perform and help each other play their best. The same holds true in all other fields of endeavor whether that be in business, the arts, philanthropic organizations, or others.

Nored demonstrated that values are only truly conveyed — and are only believed and realized — through action. Integrity, authenticity, and trust cannot be proclaimed. They become real through sustained patterns of behavior — by consistently living those values.

VALUES: THE CORE OF WHO YOU ARE

Values define the nucleus of your being. They are your how’s. Applied values drive how you resolve problems, settle ethical dilemmas, develop and nurture relationships, and follow through on your intentions.

Beyond being true to oneself and fostering trust, consistent observable demonstration of one’s values makes you more approachable. Others are more likely to listen to your advice as problems or dilemmas arise. Trust engenders robust exchanges of useful information and expertise. For catalysts, this is key to their influence and ability to help others perform at higher levels.

The literature describes three dimensions of trust within a team that are important to knowledge creation and sharing: ability (“I trust that you know what you are talking about”), benevolence (“I trust that you care about my well-being and goals”), and integrity (“I trust that I can take you at your word”) (Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995).

Rob Cross, a professor at the University of Virginia, and his team explain that “benevolence-based trust” opens the door for others to “query a colleague in depth without fear of damage to self-esteem or reputation.” (Abrams, Cross, Lesser, & Levin, 2003) When this aspect is coupled with a perception of ability in the other person (or high competence), confidence in that individual grows further. The two in combination lay the groundwork for catalysts to have a profound impact on others’ and team performance overall.

So, this insight begs the question — are your core values apparent in your daily interactions and in how you work? Do they demonstrate integrity and engender trust? What are they?

IDENTIFYING AND DEMONSTRATING YOUR VALUES

What are your five or six core personal values? Take stock of them and refer to them as reminders of the person you most want to be. Use them as guides when you are uncertain how to make a decision and let them guide your decision-making — which in turn keeps you true to yourself or authentic. Like Brad Stevens, we believe that your values reflect the core of your integrity. Through them, others will know what to expect of you.

If you are new to a team or organiz...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Introduction: Catalytic Teamwork in Action
• Cornerstone 1 Building Credibility
• Cornerstone 2 Creating Cohesion
• Cornerstone 3 Generating Momentum
• Cornerstone 4 Amplifying Impact
• References
• About the Authors
• Index