When Being A Know-All Costs Your Team

During the many team building sessions we’ve conducted, I’ve come across a myriad of characters all with their individual kinks. Recently however, I met someone who was in a different league altogether – who for want of a better word, inspired this blog. I’d like to call her Ms. L.

Now Ms. L has been working in her company for over 20 years – and I’d actually liked her initially because being at an age close to retirement, she possessed the energy and spirit of someone half her age which was very motivating and refreshing. But the good impression she made earlier went awry when she showed her true colors by attempting to be a know-it-all.

I observed that even in a team, she wanted all the attention to be on her – and there was an insistence that she be listened to. And listened to she was by her team, but I also noticed that they listened to her with a fair amount of disdain. She constantly interrupted me during instruction time and claimed that the activity introduced was something she was very familiar with and had done many times before.

Since this was the case, I invited her to be the first player – and almost immediately after this she made a mistake. So much for being familiar with it. Still insistent that she was familiar, Ms. L continued to dominate her team – and because she refused to give in, made repeated mistakes that cost her team a win.

When you work in a team, activity or not, you always have to be open to feedback and not be a show-off. Trying to prove you’re better doesn’t make you a more effective leader – it just makes you a smart aleck, nothing more. So the next time you get together with your team, listen to them more and don’t try to dominate them. A good leader never dominates but makes a team thrive by allowing them to find their own voices to express opinions and perhaps even some great ideas that might just result a win for everyone.