As a leader of a diverse team with members from 11 different countries, I have learned a lot from my failures in managing and leading my team.
One of the main challenges I have faced is synchronizing the efforts of 21 individuals with different personal and professional motivations.
To address this, I have learned the importance of communication, integrity, an open mind, optimism, and a constantly evolving growth mindset, all backed by humility.
In my experience, people generally do not like being told what to do, and instead prefer to come up with solutions themselves. This is because the solution that one finds for oneself is usually the most satisfying.
In trying to manage my team, I have used various tools such as paper to-do lists, Trello, Japanese KanBan boards, and Microsoft Todo, and even written 30,000 words of bylaws, processes, and procedures.
However, I have learned that these methods are not always effective and that a better approach is to guide team members toward a solution that they have designed themselves.
Today, I believe that the most effective way to lead a team is through partnerships with individuals who have complementary skill sets, ethics, and a mutual understanding of goals.
By building a system of these partnerships within a team, it is possible to achieve both small and large goals. It is also important to remember that failure is a normal part of the process and that after experiencing 12 failures, the 13th attempt may be the one that succeeds.