Dynamic power teams

One of my passions is building a team around a project, bringing life to something that was once just an idea. Right now, I’m fortunate to be able to build a team in a corporate setting to develop a flagship application UI.

In reality, achieving success requires a team. However, I often find myself navigating unreasonable expectations from my manager, where there’s a disconnect between what’s said and what actually plays out. In this challenging environment, my team is frequently set up for failure yet somehow manages to exceed expectations. How does this happen? This is what I want to explore today.

Success and failure belong to the team, not just one person. I believe no leader is handed a great team fully formed; great teams are built with care, dedication, and focus on each individual. Leaders care deeply about their people. I’ve often thought about what it truly means to be a leader. We hear terms like “thought leader” or “technical leader,” but are we using “leader” accurately? To me, leadership is about setting a path toward a better future, and a true leader guides people along that path.

For me, if no one is following, you’re not leading. And if you’re not leading people within your expertise, you’re not a leader. In some ways, I’m thankful for unreasonable managers because they illustrate what leadership is not. There’s a clear distinction between a manager, a leader, and a subject matter expert. Just being skilled or managing tasks well doesn’t make one a good leader.

So why focus on leadership when talking about dynamic, powerful teams? Because for a team to thrive, they need a strong leader. A true leader cares deeply for the people they lead. I don’t believe contractual, detached leadership builds powerful teams; servant leadership does. If you want a dynamic team, unlocking each member’s potential is essential—and that starts with genuinely caring about them as people, not just as resources.

Servant leadership means letting go of the notion that you have all the answers. I want to surround myself with people who can help me make the best decisions—people who care about me, our purpose, and our team. True strength comes from harnessing each person’s potential. If you believe you’re the only one with the “right” answer, you’re not leading. Ignoring the insights of even those you might consider insignificant is missing a key perspective, one that could unlock success.

The essence of servant leadership is serving people. This often means investing emotional and mental energy into their growth, which can be challenging and even frustrating at times. But in my experience, investing in people is always worth the effort. I recently had a conversation with my second-in-command about the commitment it takes to develop people—only for some to eventually leave and bring their skills to other teams. This can be frustrating if viewed through the wrong lens.

My perspective is that I invest in individuals so they grow and gain skills that will improve their lives. Sometimes, this means they find better opportunities elsewhere, which might offer a higher salary or more benefits. When someone leaves my team for a better opportunity, I feel a mix of emotions: I’m sad to lose them, but I’m genuinely happy they can provide a better life for themselves and their families.

In contrast, there are those who speak one way but act differently. For instance, they’ll give a detailed presentation on talent retention yet fail to take meaningful steps toward actually retaining talent. They might endorse corporate policies in theory but lack the commitment to make them a reality.

To build a powerful team, you must truly believe that each individual matters. That said, some people simply meet the minimum requirements—they lack the drive, care, or commitment to the team’s success and let others carry the load. These individuals are often better suited elsewhere. The people you want to retain are those who care about the team’s ideals and are willing to contribute to its success. A team that supports and values each other is essential for becoming a true powerhouse.

Building a powerful team is no easy feat. The journey is challenging, often far from smooth, and one has to wonder if you ever truly reach the pinnacle. Everyone must continuously strive for a better future, both as individuals and as a team.

I often tell my junior team members, “I’m okay with who I am today, but come back tomorrow, and I’ll be even better.” Success is a foundation that needs to be built upon—one success leading to another. While failure is an essential part of learning, you need that initial success to create confidence and momentum. Start with small, achievable goals, and once they’re accomplished, use that momentum to tackle bigger challenges. Yes, there will be failures along the way, but with the right mindset, they’re simply steps on the path to greatness, not obstacles.

In the army, I learned a valuable lesson: winners push forward, while those who lose often dwell on “doing their best” without real persistence. The lesson here is resilience. Once you give up on your goals, all that remains is the certainty of failure. Every day you get up and try again is another chance at victory.

When tackling new and complex technologies, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, even questioning your ability to grasp them. But the truth is, the more time you spend with a subject, the more familiar it becomes. Over time, familiarity leads to comfort, and comfort evolves into mastery—but only if you persist. Leaders play a crucial role here by supporting their teams through this phase, recognizing that each person learns at their own pace. Some may catch on quickly, while others might need more time.

Understanding your team’s strengths and encouraging them is essential, as is supporting them through their weaknesses. No one excels at everything, and those who believe they do are often only fooling themselves—a form of self-deception that can lead to critical failures. A phrase I often share with those struggling to learn something new is, “It’s only scary because it’s unfamiliar.” Most of us experience this, and while not everyone will master every discipline, it’s okay to feel uncomfortable in the struggle. With persistence, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

I recently had a conversation with my lead that underscored the importance of good leadership—and what to avoid. Personal experience is often the best teacher for growth and reflection. In this conversation over Teams, I mentioned that one of my strengths is building a team around projects that have been dormant, bringing new life and momentum to them. I shared how I had done this before, reviving projects and making them promising again. His only response was a laugh, quickly stifled but still clear in its derision.

Later, I offered an example of an automation project I’d taken on, which had been stagnant until I built a team around it and turned it into a success. His response? “Well, if you need recognition for your accomplishments…” The conversation left me feeling unappreciated and realizing that I couldn’t expect genuine acknowledgment from him. It was another instance of “forked-tongue” behavior—saying one thing, yet behaving in a way that discourages. Reflecting on it, I realized that while he may not be an ideal manager, this experience serves as a reminder of what not to do with my own team. Casual, dismissive comments can demoralize rather than inspire, leading people to give only the bare minimum.

This experience highlighted the importance of self-motivation as a leader. No matter what’s going on around you, it’s essential to step back, reflect calmly, realign with your goals, and continue pursuing them with renewed focus—both for yourself and your team. It’s also a valuable reminder to check in on your own practices: when was the last time you genuinely praised your team, not out of routine but because you truly appreciate their efforts?

Power teams come with a certain level of technical competence—something that can and should always be developed. I often speak to my team about reaching the “next level,” and I encourage them to define it for themselves. What’s your next step? Where are you now, where do you want to be, and how will you get there? To grow skills, people need hands-on experience, and it’s normal to stumble at first. In fact, learning to pick yourself up after a setback is one of the most important skills. What matters is learning from each attempt. Progress comes through doing; you can’t gain skills by being shielded from challenges.

A common attitude is to shelter people—“Oh, you can’t handle that yet!”—either from a lack of confidence in them or in oneself. I believe in the opposite: let them try, let them fail, and let them learn. Many times, I’ve gone through cycles of trying, failing, learning something new, and trying again until I succeed. This approach makes individuals stronger, and as they grow, so does the team.

Another critical aspect of building a power team is delegation. I once spoke to a manager who believed she was skilled at delegating because she distributed tasks to everyone. But true delegation is more than handing out tasks—it’s about giving ownership. I like to frame it as, “Do the things only you can do, and delegate the rest.” Often, juniors are overly protected from challenges when they should be given room to tackle problems independently, with support nearby if they get stuck.

To prevent myself from becoming the “answer man,” I ask team members not to come to me with just a problem; they need to bring at least one proposed solution. This pushes them to think critically and build effective problem-solving skills over time.

One of the biggest challenges I face is what I call “forked tongue” or “double-speak”—saying one thing but failing to reflect it in reality. I’ve learned from experience that when I encounter this often enough, I start tuning certain people out, simply because I can’t trust what they say. A leader’s word should be consistent: when they say “yes,” it should mean yes; when they say “no,” it should mean no.

I’ve been described as “black and white” in my approach, but I believe in calling things as they are. When something is good, I say it’s good, and when it’s not, I’ll call that out too. This honesty builds genuine trust, so when I praise someone for excellence, they know it’s real and respond with enthusiasm. Teams need clear, dependable communication to thrive; if your word doesn’t carry weight, people stop listening.

For a team to be powerful, everyone must feel free to speak truthfully and on an equal footing. Forked-tongue communication breeds anxiety, demoralizes teams, and creates confusion. Consistent, honest communication keeps everyone aligned, motivated, and engaged in achieving their shared goals.

Know the strengths of your team.

This is more challenging than it seems—it takes careful observation and genuine attention to how each person performs to understand where they excel. While assessments or personality tests can provide broad insights into a person’s tendencies, translating those insights into concrete results at work requires deeper familiarity. When you identify and utilize someone’s strengths, you unlock their full potential. Weaknesses can be addressed through training, but it’s important not to discourage team members by forcing them into situations where they feel ineffective.

I recently had a valuable conversation with my second-in-command about risk mitigation and succession planning—specifically, how he should be ready to step in for me if needed. He pointed out that he can’t replace me entirely, as our skills and approaches are so different; I’m the hammer, and he’s the scalpel. This reinforced for me that we complement each other—my strengths balance his weaknesses and vice versa. A leader’s job is to find these complementary synergies within the team. Each person has unique passions and strengths, and a team that harmonizes these differences becomes a powerful force.

In summary, I can’t stress enough the importance of investing in people. Teams that genuinely invest in one another are the ones with the greatest potential to become dynamic, powerful teams.