Leveraging different skills and strengths by integrating them to a cohesive whole, produces better results. While this is a somewhat intuitive statement, there are large bodies of research supporting this conclusion.
The major challenge is to enable a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experience, skills and values to achieve the maximum level of cohesion.
This one of the most powerful leadership skills, but also the most difficult to practice. Differences can result in adversarial behaviour. This is natural. Can the leader resolve this?
How to channel adversaries into comrades?
Motivating others to collaberate, while respecting and leveraging each others differences is best done with a deft hand. That is, create an environment which encourages the co-mingling of different perspectives, without being obvious.
The core principal is not to direct, but to guide. Create and communicate a clear vision and strategy to reinforce the power of group diversity over that of individual effort.
Using Superman
An individual with super strength, x-ray and heat vision who can fly and is invulnerable seems to be an appealing approach. With Superman as your prime resource, who needs a diverse group that struggle to work together?
Why not just rely on this all powerful super human. Seems like it might be easier. Of course it’s a problem if someone shows up with kryptonite.
High performing teams leverage each others strengths and minimize the risks associated with their weakness. They do not have a single point of failure and can adapt and effectively defend against kryptonite like attacks.
In this lies the key value of leveraging diverse strengths versus a single source.
