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NOTE: This is a guest article written by Evelyn McGill, Executive Director for the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWC). The VWC, established in 1918, is an independent judicial and administrative state agency that oversees the workers’ compensation system for employees, employers, and insurers. VWC interprets and applies the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act and resolves claims through hearings and mediation. Evelyn studied as a Pre-Graduate Fellow at the University of Virginia and has a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Tech, Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to becoming Executive Director at the Commission in 2013, she served as Deputy Chief of Administration and Executive Director for 14 years with the City of Richmond’s Police Department and in various other senior executive level positions in state, local and private organizations. She was awarded the 2023 International Collaboration Award by the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) after holding several leadership positions at the IAIABC.
Building a strong leadership team is a critical challenge for any organization. Leadership matters, as your best days are always in front of you and organizations need effective leaders to ensure successful operations and service delivery. Leaders should seek to position their organization as a leader in its industry.
As Executive Director of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWC), I have seen firsthand how important strong leadership is to fulfill our mission of serving injured workers, victims of crime, employers and various stakeholders in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As the adage goes, executives are only as effective and strong as the individuals surrounding them. Building a high-performing leadership team does not happen by accident, as intentional efforts are required.
First and foremost, it requires a “we” not “me” perspective, a team mindset. Egos must be kept in check and the team must strive towards a “we” approach. Everyone knows who the organizational leaders are, so it is not necessary to wear those titles in daily interactions and communications. Inherent respect for leaders is generally present in a thriving culture. That is the goal, a thriving culture with the tone being set and created by leaders. At times, organizations attempting to create such a culture may face resistance from existing leaders, employees and even external stakeholders. Getting buy-in requires open, honest, on-going communications; this takes time, persistence and a resilient leadership strategy.
When faced with such challenges at VWC, I held open forums with employees. Various leaders wondered why I would take such a risk to meet with our Team. From my perspective this was not a risk, it was both a learning and teachable moment for me. I needed to learn of their concerns, ensure feedback and address the issues that needed fixing. A teachable moment also existed in that I had the opportunity to provide updates to the team, share our priorities and direction while hopefully getting their support. This provided our Team Members an opportunity to have their voice heard with decision-makers. While other leaders were skeptical about holding open forums, as time went on and more were held, the communications opened and more became comfortable about hearing first-hand from Team Members, our employees.
Setting a tone at the top that you are concerned about Team Member morale, hearing their concerns and suggestions and that you will respond by fixing various issues, opens two -way communications. This is critical to your organization’s leadership model; open communications are a must in developing a thriving culture. Once your team sees that they are being heard, and problems are being resolved or their suggestions are being implemented, the message to them becomes clearer and clearer. Their voice matters!
Team Members will then begin to jump on this band wagon to support you and see strong possibilities for their career and the organization. The nay-sayers will begin to change their attitudes or leave the organization (voluntarily or involuntarily) that begins to thrive, as some will no longer fit. Our mantra at the VWC is #WeWorkAsOne, meaning, one voice as a group, one direction, working together, supporting each other, the organization. We generally hit this mark and when we do not, it is addressed in a respectful manner. Building a strong leadership team requires intention, strategy and ongoing effort. There are key principles for developing a leadership team that can drive an organization forward.
Building such a team requires a strong foundation. It starts with a clear vision, mission, and shared core values. This ambitious goal gives the leadership team a target to guide decisions and priorities. At VWC, our vision, mission, and core values are the foundation for everything we do. Our vision is to lead the nation as the most effective, innovative state agency. We seek to be the best in everything we do to serve our stakeholders. This includes an internal culture of respect, innovation, integrity, effective work, being impartial and accountable. These are our core values, our beliefs and behaviors so to speak. A vibrant internal culture transcends externally, producing high quality services to your stakeholders. VWC’s mission is to serve injured workers, victims of crimes, employers, and related industries by providing exceptional services, resolving disputes, and faithfully executing the duties entrusted to us by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
When building your leadership team, time is required to clearly define and communicate your organization’s vision, mission and core values. Ideally this should be branded internally and externally to all partners. These elements create alignment and give your team a common cause to rally behind. Each leader must understand how their role contributes to the bigger picture. Leaders set the tone for the organization and their teams.
During the development of our leadership model and strategy, not all leaders bought into this winning culture philosophy. It was clear that not all were on board. Making strong attempts to understand different thoughts is part of this process as well. If you are willing to listen, your perspective is enlightened and may even be modified. However, you must continue to move forward with designing your team and a thriving culture. Generally, people who are opposed to creating a thriving organization go outside of the lines of policy at some point with their behavior. This results in them being disciplined or leaving the organization. In our case a little bit of both happened.
As an executive, it is imperative that you are fair, honest and just in the handling of violations, regardless of the level of the employee. This shows that the organization, and more importantly, you, can be trusted. That you are serious about creating and maintaining a thriving organization as your leadership team develops.
Once the foundation is set with a vision, mission and core values are established and communicated, selecting the right individuals for leadership positions is one of the most consequential decisions to make as executives. It is more than just technical skills or experience. Finding the right individual to fit into the established culture is like a work of art. It looks right, feels good and impacts the environment in a positive manner. Selected leaders who are the right fit demonstrate character, emotional intelligence and the ability to inspire others. They buy into the design of a thriving culture, exhibit its core values while helping the organization to meet its vision and mission.
Evaluating candidates for qualities that coincide with the established core values is essential. High ethical standards, doing the right thing, are essential leadership qualities. Leaders are charged with building up and developing those around them, that is essential. There must be a willingness to take responsibility for successes and disappointments. Leaders praise their teams for successes while handling the challenges. Optimistic, creative and strong interpersonal skills are essential. Strategic thinking and sound business judgement, all these qualities are the minimum requirements for each member of your leadership team.
Seek different types of individuals with a diversity of thought, experience, background. In the VWC, we seek a diverse and inclusive leadership table where everyone’s voice matters. Diversity brings about different ideas, which enrich decision-making. It is not a myopic, one-sided view, it is more strategic and well rounded. As a leader you are making decisions for the betterment of an organization, comprised of different types of team Members. Having diversity of thought in conversations regarding administration, finance and operations, ensures that various views are discussed. Diversity in leadership is not just a moral imperative; it creates a strategic advantage. A diverse leadership team brings varied perspectives, experiences, and ideas to the table, leading to more innovative solutions to complex problems. Diversity in age, race, sexual orientation, disabilities. educational background, religions, marital status and various other socioeconomic norms promotes differences which should be discussed, not judged. If the right leaders are in place, they will seek first to understand these different perspectives, collaborate and come to the best decision for the organization.
Successful organizations promote diversity in many ways. Diverse hiring panels, mentorship programs, creating an inclusive work environment that values different viewpoints, fostering collaboration and trust are all important. At times, not everyone will be on board with this philosophy and its required actions. When faced with push back, as a leader, you utilize the “we” perspective as much as possible. Have different voices present in front of your organization’s leadership. Provide training opportunities for various individuals and levels. Mention front line team member contributions in executive meetings so that various individuals throughout the organization are recognized for their contributions to success.
This strategy enhances the communications; it acknowledges individuals who normally would not be heard or recognized. It solidifies the “we” mentality, that together we achieve great things. A highly successful leadership team is only as strong as the relationships between its members. To build trust and promote collaboration:
- Encourage open and honest communication
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities
- Celebrate team successes and learn from failures together
- Provide opportunities for team-building activities
A continuous learning and development environment must exist. You must cultivate a growth mindset throughout the organization. Try viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and improve rather than insurmountable obstacles. To improve, changes are needed. Embrace that growth opportunity.
Post-pandemic work cultures are filled with changes, newer technologies, different work schedules and strategies for success. Be willing to listen to such innovation. It will enrich your thoughts and enhance your organizations as ideas will be freely provided in a trusting, supporting environment.
Provide access to relevant training and educational opportunities, supporting and encouraging attendance at industry conferences, regular and consistent performance feedback Implement a system for regular performance feedback and goal setting.
Goals are meant to be measured. To ensure an effective leadership team, establish clear metrics for success and hold leaders accountable. This includes setting specific, measurable goals aligned with your organization’s mission, regularly reviewing performance, reporting in a structured way results. Always be transparent and authentic in communicating successes, challenges and areas for improvement.
In conclusion, building a strong leadership team is an ongoing process that requires dedication, vision, and a commitment to excellence. It requires both creativity and precision, blending intuition and analysis. It requires clear vision, the right people, a growth mindset, ongoing development, trust and the right leaders who fit in your winning culture. When challenges exist to build such a culture, you as an executive or agency head, must address those challenges, fix the issues, hear concerns and communicate changes.
Everyone wins when the right leaders are in place, your internal team, your customers and you as the leader of the organization. It takes time and effort. A persistent, resilient attitude is a must, so is being grateful for the achievements accomplished. The payoff of a high performing leadership team is immeasurable. By focusing on these key areas – a strong foundation, shared values, diversity, collaboration, continuous learning, accountability, and challenges – you can create a leadership team that will guide your organization to new heights of success in your industry. You will be positioned as a top workplace, a leader in industry, with a team in place that is energized about its achievements, constantly seeking to advance and improve.