Even if you’ve been leading for years, creating a cohesive team should still be one of your top goals

You’ve just stepped into a new leadership position. Now, what? Whether you’re building your team from scratch or inheriting an existing one, your first goal remains the same: creating a unified team that works together effectively. (Even if you’ve been leading for years, creating a cohesive team should still be one of your top goals.)

Believe in Yourself

Sometimes, the hardest part of leadership is making tough decisions about who should be on your team. There’s an old joke about a new CEO who, on his first day, fired every 25th employee at random. “This will show them who’s boss!” he told himself.

Clearly, there are healthier ways to establish authority.

It’s natural for the team to question whether you’re the right person for the job. They might think you’re too young, too old, too inexperienced, or even too experienced. While facing these doubts, it’s important to hold onto the truth: You were given this role because someone believed in your potential. Your job now is to prove them right.

To do this, these are the things you should focus on:

Showcase your strengths: Identify what you can excel at in your new role and demonstrate that to your team — in actions, not in words.

Address perceived weaknesses: Understand what your team perceives as your flaws and find ways to turn those into strengths.

Fill the gaps: Find what you need to learn about and learn it from the team, from experts, from colleagues, online. Don’t be hesitant to say, “I don’t know.”

A principal I know launched a new program for alumni and initially assigned it to her most experienced teachers. However, she quickly realized they were too entrenched in the school environment and out of touch with the alumni’s world. As difficult as it was, she had to replace the original team with a younger teacher who could relate better to the alumni. In this case, what could have been seen as a flaw — youth and inexperience — became a strength.

It’s easy to view your team as a potential threat, especially when you’re new to the role. But as Rotem Shavit, public speaking coach at Talk Master, wisely pointed out to me, “There’s no audience that doesn’t want you to succeed.” Your team wants you to do well because your success is tied to theirs. They’re rooting for you, even if it doesn’t always seem that way.

Ghosts in the Boardroom

An article in the Wall Street Journal by Eric Pfanner described how, in Japan, retired executives often linger like ghosts, still influencing decisions long after they’ve left the office. These advisors can significantly hamper a company’s ability to innovate and move forward.

For example, at Toshiba, former executive Taizo Nishimuro continued to wield influence a decade after his departure. He even convinced the current chairman to stay on the job despite a major accounting scandal.

These “ghosts” create a stagnant environment that stifles innovation. Companies become reluctant to challenge or change anything set in motion by their “advisors,” even if the market demands it. As Nicholas Benes, head of the Board Director Training Institute of Japan, said, “If you’re not in the kitchen bearing liability as a director, you shouldn’t be telling me how to cook.”

Some companies, like Sony, have phased out these advisory roles. However, sometimes even when a former executive steps down gracefully and completely, their spirt may still linger in the office, exerting a strong reluctance to change.

If you’re a manager stepping into someone else’s shoes, you may be familiar with these ghosts. Dealing with them requires a delicate balance.

Expect to be told, “But that’s not how X did it.” When that happens, first ask yourself if perhaps that’s a better method, and be prepared to change your mind.

If you don’t think it works as well, don’t be afraid to say, “That worked until now. From here on, we will do things differently.” Just watch your tone of voice; it should be accepting, non-judgmental, and clear.

The First 100 Days

When you start a new position, you have what’s often referred to as “100 days of grace,” a period when the team is open to new ideas and more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you stumble. Use this time wisely.

This is your opportunity to observe, learn, and make your mark. The key is to strike a balance — avoid making sweeping changes on day one, but don’t wait too long, either.

Step 1: Listen and Learn (Days 1-30)

Your first 30 days should be focused on listening and learning. Meet with each team member individually to understand their roles, satisfaction levels, and ideas for improvement.

Ask questions like, “What aspects of your role do you find most fulfilling, and why?” “Where do you see opportunities for innovation within the company?” and “If you could change one thing, what would it be?” These conversations will provide invaluable insights into the team’s dynamics and potential areas for growth.

During these meetings, take detailed notes. This will help you remember each person’s input and show that you value their opinions. It will also be invaluable for you to keep a log of your initial impressions. Over time, we get used to a company’s culture; during these early days you have an objectivity that you’ll lose as time goes on.

Step 2: Reflect and Plan (Days 31-60)

After gathering information, spend the next 30 days analyzing it. Look for patterns and consider your options. Are structural changes needed? Should some roles be redefined or reallocated? Sometimes, a reshuffling of responsibilities is necessary to signal that change is coming.

This is also the time to start formulating your vision for the team’s future. Keep the feedback you’ve received in mind as you do. The goal is to create a plan that aligns with your leadership style and also resonates with the team’s needs.

Step 3: Implement and Involve (Days 61-100)

The final 40 days are for action. This is when you start implementing the changes you’ve planned. However, the way you implement these changes is as important as the changes themselves.

Involve your team in the process by highlighting their contributions. For example, during a meeting, you might say, “Here’s a point that so-and-so brought up,” or in one-on-one conversations, acknowledge their input with, “I heard what you said, and therefore, I’m…”

Giving credit boosts morale and fosters a sense of ownership among team members. When people feel respected, they are more likely to embrace changes and work toward shared goals.

In The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins points out that those first few months in a new leadership role are a golden opportunity to make a strong impression. He suggests focusing on “early wins” — clear, meaningful improvements that address immediate business needs. These quick wins help build momentum, show your effectiveness, and establish a solid foundation of credibility.

But Watkins also reminds us not to get too caught up in the short-term gains. While it’s important to score some early successes, it’s just as crucial to think about the long game.

New leaders need to take the time to understand the company’s culture, build strong relationships, and align their vision with the organization’s goals. Try to find that balance: achieving some quick wins to gain trust and build momentum while setting the groundwork for long-term success.

Fill the Bus

What if you need to build or expand your team? Here’s what to look for.

In Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about “getting the right people on the bus.” Often, we think of hiring for specific positions: I need an accountant, or I’m looking for a salesperson. However, it might be more effective to focus on the personality you need rather than just the job description.

If you find a talented individual who feels like a good fit for your company, bring them on board — then figure out where they can excel. Sometimes, hiring people with experience in different sectors provides the fresh perspective needed to innovate or revitalize a role.

Raymond P. Davis, in Leading for Growth, offers a strong example with his transformation of Umpqua Bank. He realized that banks were essentially selling financial services, but bank tellers lacked a sales-oriented approach. By observing customer interactions at retailers like Gap and Nordstrom, he concluded it would be easier to train salespeople in banking than to train bank tellers to be salespeople.

Other banks were puzzled when Davis sent his tellers to Ritz-Carlton for customer service training and hired a top design firm to reinvent the bank branches as welcoming retail spaces. They laughed at his insistence that employees answer the phone with a bright “World’s Greatest Bank.”

But 11 years later, with $7 billion in assets and 128 branches — rebranded as “bank stores” — the title seems fitting. The New York Times even dubbed it,  “Starbucks with tellers.”

The takeaway? Focus less on finding the “perfect” candidate (hint: they probably don’t exist) and more on someone who matches your vision and values. Skills can be taught, but qualities like cultural fit, creativity, problem-solving, and the ability to innovate are inherent.

An editor I know shared that when looking for a feature writer, she preferred someone who excels at research rather than someone who writes beautifully.

“I can fix mediocre writing,” she said, “but if the meat isn’t there, there’s nothing to work with.”

I was recently looking to hire a virtual assistant. I realized that the top quality I needed was someone who was masterful at creating systems. Once I figured that out, I decided that rather than look for someone with experience in my industry who I’d hope would learn systems, I’d look for a systems gal, even if she came from a very different industry. Skills trumped niche here.

What Lights Them Up?

Even though a résumé typically has all the information you need, have the person tell you about your experience; you’ll learn a lot from how they narrate it.

Watch their eyes and see when they light up — these are the things they not only know how to do but also love to do. Ask them what they enjoyed about those tasks and consider how you can offer opportunities that include what they love.

Notice their expressions, body language, and unspoken messages.

I recently interviewed someone who was a lovely person with solid experience. But within the half-hour interview, she said, “It’s really hard” at least ten times. She was clearly carrying some sort of weight, and that wasn’t a weight I could bring into Temech, because then the weight would be my responsibility.

Managing Team Tension

Working in teams isn’t always smooth sailing, however, it’s crucial to keep in mind that “v’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha” also applies in the workplace.  Here are some steps you can take:

1. Understand group dynamics
   In a team, we often revert to behaviors from our first “group” — our family. Some may speak loudly because they were part of a large family and felt unheard. Others might become territorial. Recognizing this regression is crucial. Normalize these behaviors rather than overreacting, and understand that they are natural responses.
2. Establish clear protocols for conflict
   It’s essential to have guidelines on handling tension. Leadership should establish procedures for managing conflict, detailing acceptable and unacceptable behaviors during disagreements. Key points might include:

We don’t talk about each other; if we have a problem with someone, we speak to them directly.

We always communicate with respect.

When we approach someone about something that bothers us, we genuinely listen to their side of the story.

We realize that mistakes happen and don’t judge others based on a single incident.

We give second chances.

3. Address issues directly
   If one team member consistently creates tension, have a candid conversation with them. Be clear about which behaviors are unacceptable and discuss how to move forward constructively.

Watch their eyes and see when they light up — these are the things they not only know how to do but also love to do

The Secret Sauce for Synergy

Once you have the right people, clearly define their roles and responsibilities. This helps maintain boundaries and keeps people from stepping on each other’s toes.

Knowledge sharing is also vital for building a cohesive team. Develop processes to keep team members informed about each other’s work and encourage collaboration. At Temech, we meet once a quarter and review every project we’re working on. We then explore how each project could potentially benefit from each of the other projects. It may be a method they could borrow, a consultant who could be tapped, or nothing at all, but it opens up thought processes and encourages cross-pollination of ideas.

Aligning expectations is another key aspect of building a strong team. In Dare to Lead, Brené Brown emphasizes the importance of clearly defining expectations. When you tell your child he can go play when he’s “done” cleaning his room, realize that his definition of cleaning is probably very different from yours. If you don’t want to be disappointed, you must let him know that he’s free to go when his bed is made, clothes are put away, and shoes are in the closet.

Brown advises leaders to clearly define expectations, deliverables, deadlines, and responsibilities, rather than assuming everyone has the same understanding. This advice is equally relevant for team members. If someone says, “I need the room set up for the course,” it’s crucial to detail what setup entails. Clear expectations prevent misunderstandings and reduce tension down the line.

Seth Godin echoes this in The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams: “If we can agree to be clear, specific, and kind in our language, we’re off to a good start. If we can go a step further and give each person on our team the benefit of the doubt — and to ask for clarification when we’re confused — we’re much less likely to cause pain, confusion, or simply a disruption in our journey.”

In the pre-2000 days of hi-tech, companies looking to hire advertised their extra-curriculum activities. I still remember a help wanted ad for programmers for a startup featuring a photo of a team on a canoe. However, nothing builds a team better than working toward a common goal. While team-building activities can be enjoyable, true bonding happens when everyone works on a joint project.

This could be a significant goal, like organizing a conference, or a more specific target, like cutting expenses by 20 percent or getting a particular award. Each person focuses on their part, and the team meets to share progress, brainstorm for future steps, and celebrate achievements.

Because great teams are crafted with care, built on trust, and driven by a common goal.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1035)