13 Practices Of Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures

Every experienced leader understands the importance of building a great team and the value it brings.  However, team building is very difficult and a skill only the best leaders truly master.  Once such leader is the owner of MAG Bookkeeping and EA Help, Bryan Miles.
What fascinates me about Bryan is how he builds teams in non-traditional environments.  Many of his team members are virtual, meaning they do not work in brick-and-mortal offices.
Recently, Bryan pulled back the curtain and gave us a glimpse into how he creates such healthy teams and culture.  On August 5th, 2015 he wrote a note to his entire team about the importance of community and being inter-connected even though many are spread across the country.  You can read the full letter from Bryan’s website by clicking HERE.
In the letter, Bryan drove home a practice he calls High/Low.  High/Lows combat isolation by allowing team members to share with one another the successes (Highs) and challenges (Lows) of their life.
As I read Bryan’s note I gleaned 13 Practices Of Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures:

1. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Are Natural Encouragers – Bryan opens his letter by saying, “Amazing Corporate Team.”
2. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Are Transparent – The best leaders are not controlled by their feelings but are open with them.  Bryan continues by saying, “I just wanted to take a minute to share with you why I feel the Friday ‘High/Low’ activity is so important to our company.”
3. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Hold Others Accountable – As the letter progressed, Bryan challenged his team by saying, “While this is not mandatory, I’ve noticed that a few of you have become sporadic and wanted to encourage you to continue to be consistent.”
4. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Model What It Expected – Leaders must go first.  Bryan noted, “This goes for me and (my wife) Shannon, our leaders, and everyone on our almost 50-person Corp Team.”
5. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Want The Best You – Smart leaders work hard to get “The Best You”.  He said, “When you share your high/low, you show your team the real you. This is massively important to our virtual culture.”
6. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Are Encouragers – Great leaders reduce the burdens for those on their teams.  They lighten their loads.  I loved how Bryan encouraged his team by saying, “Let’s face it – not every week is rainbows and unicorns. By showing and sharing the real you, we can pray for you and encourage you!”
7. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Create A Sense Of Community – The leadership journey is only fun when done with others.  Bryan helped create a sense of community by pointing out, “When you share your high/low, our ‘virtual’ world gets smaller and less ‘remote.’..We are real people behind our screens, and when you share we identify with you.
8. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Live Balanced Lives And Encourage Their Teams To Do So As Well – Leaders value balance because balance results in sustainability.  Bryan told his team, “The last thing I want is for you to stop your vacation and post.”
9. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Connect People –  Bryan compelled his team to action by revealing, “Our team craves connection. So, when you don’t do a high/low, you are missing out and robbing our team of the genuine connection we’re seeking.”
10. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Treat Their Team Members With Respect –  Asking others to be transparent takes courage.  To mitigate the risk, Bryan said, “It’s OK to say, “I have an ‘unspoken’ low” if you’re not comfortable sharing specifics. You don’t need to bare your soul. We’re all grown up and can read between the lines.”
11. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Celebrate The Accomplishments Of Others –  Great leaders look for any reason to celebrate.  Bryan said, “When you share your high/low, you can tell everyone how you ‘knocked something out of the park’ in your week so we can cheer you on. It’s not bragging – it’s called winning. And, we like to cheer on winning in this business!”
12. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Focus On What They Are Known For –  Bryan adds, “When you share, you continue the tradition for new employees that you have enjoyed and that we are now known for.”
13. Highly Successful Builders Of Great Teams And Cultures Never Ask You To Do Something They Would Not Do Themselves – Bryan concludes by saying, “I ask you to please continue to share your highs/lows with us. I will do the same. I’ll never ask you to do something that I wouldn’t do myself.”

 As I mentioned, Bryan Miles is a great leader.  What is one thing you learned from how he interacts with his team that will make you a better leader?

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