Gabriel Brotman’s Post

Most companies’ management principles solve for minimizing friction across layers of management, rather than solving how to create diverse teams that challenge and enhance each other. If your leadership approach is to persuade everyone to follow your way of thinking or acting, how can you possibly get a diverse team? You either build a team with widely differing views and approaches and help them gel, or you build a team of clones and tokens - there’s not much in between. Most of what I do as a leader and manager is to help other people collaborate and find common ground WITHOUT compromising their values or changing their styles. I do this through a combination of aligning incentives, serving as a mediator, and leading by example. I will gladly choose the friction of teams and individuals challenging each other over the lubrication of groupthink and assigned territory. It’s a big reason why my teams and my companies go further than their peers. Truly diverse teams win, period. I have some exciting news to share soon. I recently joined a company that, among other things, is serious about building diversity from the ground up, and I can’t wait to talk more about it :)

Stepping into a leadership role 👞 is never easy. And, it’s especially challenging when you’re breaking barriers 🚧 in the process. Having faced and overcome these obstacles, I have learned that authenticity 💎 is key in leading a team effectively. There's an uncanny power in being genuine—it builds trust 👫, boosts morale, and fuels productivity 📈. Moreover, it's important to understand that every member of your team brings unique skills and perspectives 👀. Diverse teams are stronger 💪 because they challenge assumptions and foster innovation 💡. However, diversity alone isn’t effective without inclusion 🤝. Diversity might get people 'in the room', but inclusion ensures their voices are heard 📣. By promoting an inclusive culture, organizations can leverage their diverse talent pool for better performance and decision making 🎯. So, if you're stepping into a leadership role or looking to be more effective as a leader—be authentic, value diversity, promote inclusion. These three keys 🗝️ will unlock doors to successful and impactful leadership. Remember - it's not about being the best in the team; it’s about being the best for the team 👥.

when you concede your significance and worth, you become inconsequential inclined to engage with individuals who fail to recognize and appreciate your contributions. It's important to besiege yourself with colleagues and leaders who truly understand and support your potential. It's all about finding a team that values and champions you even when you're not around.

Recently, I had the privilege of working closely with a senior leadership team. During our session, they reached a profound realization and stepped into a space they'd never ventured into before - unveiling their deepest fears and vulnerabilities: The weight of disappointing their leader. The fear of appearing inept. Not living up to collective expectations. Personal shortcomings and the impact on their careers. The dread of losing a cherished family business. The threat of steep financial losses. Two remarkable observations from this session: 1️⃣ Many team members discovered they harbored the SAME fears, realizing they weren't alone in their concerns. 2️⃣ For the first time, they truly saw and deeply connected with each other, bridging gaps they never knew existed. One participant reflected, "We emerged from the session not just as colleagues, but as a team fortified by trust, empathy, and a deeper understanding of each other." Another added, “Hearing each other's raw insecurities was eye-opening. It was a moment of recognition – realizing our shared human experience and that in our struggles, we are united.” If you're interested in fostering such transformative moments and deepening the bond within your team, feel free to DM me. Let's create breakthroughs together. 🌐

1. **Trust is the Foundation**: As a leader, trust is the bedrock of all relationships. It starts with trusting others and being trustworthy yourself. 2. **Empowers Teams**: Trust in your team fosters collaboration and innovation. When team members feel trusted, they're more likely to take initiative and contribute meaningfully. 3. **Drives Performance**: Trust boosts morale and performance. When people feel valued and trusted, they are motivated to excel and achieve goals. 4. **Cultivates a Positive Culture**: A culture of trust creates a positive work environment where ideas flow freely and people feel safe to take risks and learn from mistakes. 5. **Strengthens Leadership Impact**: Ultimately, being a leader means inspiring trust in others. It's not just about authority but about building relationships and empowering those around you. Let's lead with trust and watch our teams thrive!

Today, our CEO of Zeta Bhavin Turakhia generously devoted his time to engage with all the people managers, sharing invaluable insights and practical strategies for effective leadership and navigating diverse contexts. During this enlightening session, one of the questions I raised was, “How can a new manager build trust within an already established team?” In response, Mr. Turakhia provided a holistic framework. 1. Intent: Foster a shared sense of purpose and genuine dedication to achieving collective goals among team members. 2. Expertise: Equip team members with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their respective roles, empowering them to contribute meaningfully. 3. Competence: Demonstrate proficiency and effectiveness in executing tasks and resolving challenges, instilling confidence in your leadership abilities. 4. Brand Value: Cultivate a strong personal brand that embodies the unique value you bring to the team, ensuring your contributions are recognized and respected. 5. Maturity: Showcase maturity in your leadership approach, displaying wisdom, emotional intelligence, and a long-term perspective in decision-making. At the end of the session, Mr. Turakhia presented a book to each person who asked questions, further enriching our learning journey and commitment to growth. Picture courtesy: Pavan Kumar

Getting team size right is important to get the most out of your teams, get Traction, and create cultures that scale. In order to have healthy conflict and high vulnerability and to make strong decisions, a team should have around 3–7 members but no more than 10. If you stick to that number for your Leadership Team or your Departmental Teams, you'll see a shift in energy, participation, and results. When a team gets to 10–15 members, we start to see effectiveness go down. Two reasons: 🔸 The Dunbar Number. According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar, beyond the size of 15, empathy starts to evaporate, and a sense of common purpose decreases. Factions may also start to develop. 🔸 The Ringelmann Effect. This is the tendency for individual members of a group to become increasingly less productive as the size of their group increases. Culture and relationships begin to fray around 100–150 on a team or in a company. Dunbar also saw this as the cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. Getting team size is just one part… but an important part to improve collaboration, connection, clarity, and confidence in your organization. Jeanet Wade

One of the by-products of having a diverse team is healthy conflict 💥 Diversity of thought can be so valuable as it can breeds innovation, challenge better outcomes and ultimately be beneficial to the customer and bottom line. Yet, having different perspectives may not always feel rosy in the moment, in fact, it can often feel challenging and uncomfortable. It therefore takes skillful leadership and influencing to observe these nuances, create safe spaces to speak up, and find meaningful compromise that ultimately gets to the right outcomes. As a leader I've learnt over time that being challenged by my team is so important, and having the humility to accept that I'm not always right and the curiosity to be open to new perspectives will only serve me well. For many of us DEI practitioners, it also means we often talk about the fact that improving representation is important, however ensuring that leadership capability to support diverse teams is driven alongside is even more critical. Sharing this article from Forbes which I think shares some practical and actionable tips. Please share which resonated with you the most below. https://lnkd.in/eETxZSXp

Instead of solely relying on top-down leadership to chart the course for a company’s future, it’s essential to cultivate a team composed of passionate and dedicated individuals. Grift Krehnbrink realized that when you empower your team to lead the way — to share their ideas, insights, and expertise — you tap into a wealth of diverse perspectives and creativity. This collaborative approach not only fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among team members but also allows the organization to navigate challenges more effectively, adapt to changing landscapes, and ultimately achieve greater success.