United we stand, divided we fall.

How do you effectively lead a business development team? Over the years, I’m sure all of you outstanding managers have developed your own insights.

However, these details are worth delving into.

Distinguishing Between Good and Bad Teams

To lead a team well, you must first understand what makes a team good.

An Excellent Team: Shared Goals, Control Without Harm

In the workplace, when the word “control” is mentioned, many people might associate it with “PUA” and feel quite uncomfortable.

That’s not the case, however.

Here, “control” actually refers to “a leader’s ability to take responsibility for outcomes.” The goal is to prevent the team’s objectives from becoming scattered, or its actions and pace from becoming inconsistent.

Why do we need a team?

Because we need to work together on a task—one that cannot be accomplished by an individual alone—a shared mission.

Based on this, a manager’s most important task is to lead the team to its destination.

This involves uniting everyone’s strength, focusing everyone’s attention, aligning everyone’s path, and then driving the team toward that goal.

Essentially, this is about achieving organizational effectiveness.

Therefore, the “control” here refers to the task and the goal, not to the people.

So, what should an excellent team look like?

It is a team where everyone shares the same vision, where everyone gives their all for a common goal, and where everyone is fully committed to achieving the final result.

I recall a director of investment promotion once saying:

After he was promoted, his former boss reminded him, “You are now a team leader. Your core role is no longer to handle business yourself, but to help the people on your team become like you.”

If everyone acts like a leader—possessing a clear sense of direction and requiring no “control” from the leader—isn’t that the mark of a great team?

Poor Teams: Each Has Its Own Reasons

The most common type is the “harmonious but ineffective” team.

What does that look like?

Everyone flatters the leader; on the surface, everyone gets along perfectly, and during reports, they sugarcoat the situation: “We’re working very hard.” The leader also says: “You’re all my trusted confidants, my little darlings.”

But when it comes to the actual work?

They slack off, and once tasks are delegated, there’s never any feedback.

Teams like this completely seal the leader off in an information bubble, cutting off their access to real information.

Why does this happen?

Because in such a team, the leader has become the absolute authority.

Consequently, the team’s core performance metric is no longer accountability for productivity, but accountability for the leader’s mood.

After weighing the pros and cons, subordinates conclude that pleasing the leader and competing with others for existing resources offers a better return on investment than creating new business opportunities.

Whoever receives more attention from the leader gets more resources.

Similar cases exist in many private enterprises. Even when a business is clearly no longer profitable and subordinates are exhausted, the boss refuses to dissolve the team, implement reforms, or delegate authority.

They cling to the dying embers of their business, reveling in the sensation of being fawned over, the thrill of manipulating others, and the intoxication of power itself.

Next are high-pressure teams.

Leaders are purely goal-oriented, disregarding their subordinates’ feelings.

Subordinates are crushed under the pressure.

However, the collapse of high-pressure teams often stems not from the intensity of the pressure itself, but from the failure to distribute benefits fairly after results are achieved.

They want the horse to run but not to eat.

The internet giants that raced ahead at breakneck speed in recent years are prime examples of high-pressure teams.

Performance metrics kept rising, and online forums were always filled with employees venting their frustrations.

Yet under these conditions, the teams remained intact—thanks to the fact that these giants were indeed willing to spend money and distribute profits. Although employees worked hard, they did receive tangible benefits.

On the other hand, having worked at a major tech firm is like affixing a prestigious label to one’s resume, causing one’s market value to skyrocket.

This is also common within the government system; for example, if a leader excels at attracting investment, their subordinates are often labeled accordingly.

Although such leaders may be a bit of “workaholics,” they are indeed very helpful in driving projects forward.

Moreover, it is precisely these individuals who are highly focused and single-minded.

To a certain extent, those working in their teams must share the same values.

Essentially, this is a process of mutual selection.

Finally, there are teams that waste energy internally.

How does this internal friction manifest?

Although departments clearly need to collaborate, there are constant delays, bottlenecks, and a lack of cooperation.

This is likely caused by power struggles at the top.

It’s painful for the leaders, and it’s painful for the subordinates too.

Once the situation spirals out of control, not only will tasks go undone, but all sorts of bizarre and unexpected incidents will occur.

It can be said that good teams are all alike, but bad teams are bad for all the wrong reasons.

Establishing Authority: Creating a Rhythm That Meets Expectations

Now we understand:

A good team is one that focuses solely on delivering results.

So, in the process of focusing on results, it is essential to manage expectations effectively—this is how you establish authority.

What is authority?

Authority is absolutely not about wielding power—it’s not about punishing people if they don’t do what you ask.

The way I understand it, authority is actually trust.

Because in our work—especially in the fast-paced field of industrial investment promotion—we face immense uncertainty.

With a weak industrial foundation, can we attract major projects?

If our preferential policies can’t compete with neighboring cities, how can we win over leading enterprises?

When faced with uncertainty, people naturally have many concerns.

The first concern is: Can this leader help us succeed?

To put it bluntly: if I follow this leader, will my performance improve? Do I have a future here?

The second concern is: once we achieve the final results, will this leader look out for my interests?

In other words: If we win, will I get a share of the rewards? If we lose, will I suffer losses?

When subordinates are willing to bear these uncertainties for you—when they choose to follow you—we can win this battle.

This trust is the essence of authority.

How do you establish authority?

There are certain techniques involved in building authority.

For example, quickly achieving key milestones. By delivering results, you reduce uncertainty in the work and establish a rhythm that aligns with expectations.

This rhythm should be as clear as possible.

First, break down large goals into smaller ones and complete them quickly.

For example, if the annual investment attraction target is 10 billion yuan, consider setting a milestone every 500 million yuan.

Second, continuously visualize the process and the results.

Provide feedback to the team to amplify the significance of each milestone.

For example, cities, counties, and development zones in Shanxi, Henan, and other regions regularly hold “Three Batches” project construction events.

Signing a batch, breaking ground on a batch, and putting a batch into production—this is how goals are broken down, with regular feedback to amplify the significance of each milestone.

In this way, as team members achieve one milestone after another, they receive a psychological cue: we are getting better and better.

For every investment promotion team, it is essential to provide timely feedback to the team—whether for securing a key project or even completing a single investment promotion map—to amplify the significance of each milestone.

Third, further infuse milestones with a sense of ceremony.

The most common approach is to hold an awards ceremony; the cost might be as simple as a commemorative banner, but the effect is surprisingly effective.

Alternatively, host a sharing session for outstanding employees to share their best practices with the entire team.

On one hand, this fosters an atmosphere of self-directed learning; on the other, during year-end reviews, displaying the accumulated photos creates a touching moment and delivers significant emotional value.

As a team leader, you must believe in the power of the team and the growth of its members, giving them sufficient space to learn, make mistakes, and develop.

How can you motivate everyone to take initiative?

Communication is crucial.

Communication: Neither too close nor too distant

Poor communication takes several forms:

The first is being overbearing. “You must listen to everything I say—I’m the boss.” “I’ve said it; just listen. Why are you asking so many questions?”

The second is deliberately creating information asymmetry. You only share partial information with subordinates, trying to keep the big picture under your own control.

The third is long-winded and rambling. It’s too abstract, and subordinates may not understand what your main point is.

As for what constitutes excellent communication, that’s a matter of personal opinion.

However, as a team leader, you should consciously maintain a certain distance from your subordinates—neither too close nor too far.

“Not too close” is easy to understand.

If you’re too close to certain subordinates, others may perceive it as favoritism.

Alternatively, subordinates with whom you’re close may intentionally or unintentionally pass information to you, occupying your mind and disrupting your judgment.

What does “not too distant” mean?

It means that in daily work, managers should engage in timely informal communication.

You need to stay informed about the rumors circulating within the team or organization, as well as the current mood and atmosphere among everyone.

Information obtained through this kind of informal communication is often more accurate.

The MIT Media Lab once conducted a study on social networks and interpersonal relationships:

Who is the most influential person in the office, or the one who most influences the flow of information within the team?

It’s not the CEO.

Nor is it the manager.

It’s the person in the office who interacts with everyone the most.

You can probably picture the scene:

When this person isn’t around, everyone just keeps their heads down and works. But as soon as they show up, even the usually quiet subordinates gather together to share the latest gossip.

There’s no set mold—they might be a seasoned veteran well-versed in the ways of the world, or a new hire still finding their feet.

Yet this person is actually the one who best reflects the team’s true state.

Some things are knowledge, which mainly relies on memorization.

Some things are knowledge, which relies mainly on memorization.

Management, however, is not just about knowledge and skills; it is, above all, an attitude.

While it may not be as subtle as something that “can only be understood, not explained,” it still requires being awakened and triggered by life experiences.

I hope this article offers some inspiration to managers of industrial investment promotion teams.