“Like alchemists turning metal into gold, leaders can transform teams into something exceptional.”

Maybe you have experience of the opposite kind of team, reverse alchemy perhaps. In their individual roles and specialisms you have an outstanding pool of talent gold, but put together, they produce consistently ordinary results.

In this state of disconnection, mistakes may be hidden or justified, and blame creeps in, communication falters, performance drops off – perhaps slowly at first, then sometimes more dramatically.

I’m team coaching a team like this currently. It’s a great business in a strong market. On paper and individually, the leadership team is first-class. It just isn’t working. In my first session with them, I could see it and feel it – that sense of wary discomfort in the room, a felt sense of being off balance, out of step, unspoken secrets and hidden dynamics in play.

When a team isn’t working well, a leader’s instinctive response can be to look at immediately explicit issues and fix them – perhaps with remedial interventions like performance management and conflict resolution. Maybe they invest in development interventions – resilience workshops, leadership development training, and ultimately, single or multiple team member replacements. If these don’t have the impact everyone is looking for, where does the leader-alchemist turn next?

Transforming a team into a high-performing unit involves several key aspects, each requiring the leader’s careful attention and skill. In the alchemist role, the leader is transformative, and instead of trying to fix what’s broken, focuses on building something new, something that's better.

This starts by tackling the issues holding the team back. It means breaking down old habits and mindsets that aren’t working anymore. It can be tough, but it’s a necessary step toward transformation.

Next, the leader encourages the team to explore new ideas, dissolving rigid structures and fostering a culture of openness and experimentation. The leader creates a safe space for team members to take risks and learn from mistakes.

One of the most challenging aspects of leadership can be managing the unseen relationships and connections between team members. These dynamics shift as people leave and join the team, and personal chemistry or clashes can significantly impact team performance.

• To manage team chemistry effectively, leaders need to be master observers and proactively intervene as they notice small changes as well as major shifts.
  
  

• Recognizing and nurturing the unique strengths of each team member is crucial. The leader sees the value in everyone’s contributions and leverages these strengths for the team’s benefit.
  
  

• Bringing the team together and fostering collaboration and synergy is another important aspect. It’s about aligning individual strengths toward a common goal and building trust and teamwork.
  
  

• Continuous growth and development are essential for a high-performing team. The leader encourages the team to keep learning and improving, providing opportunities for professional development and celebrating successes.
  
  

• Refining the team’s processes and practices is also important. The leader makes necessary adjustments to ensure the team is operating at its best.

Finally, achieving high performance and excellence is the ultimate goal. The leader and the team are now capable of achieving extraordinary results.

Team coaching works systemically, supporting the leader and team in building connections between the individuals and their unseen relationships and interactions. And it’s there, in the in-between spaces, that team dynamics shift, energy and performance align, and the organization, the leader and the team all feel the positive pull forwards.

The leader has the challenge of working as both the alchemist and as a key ingredient in the recipe for change – that’s not an easy set of roles to juggle. The team coach adds something else – the heat perhaps, the crucible maybe. A new place, where teams and leaders can collaborate creatively and be experimental: a place of possibility and opportunity.