As a leader, it is important to identify and understand the B Team. I was introduced to the B Team as a young president, and it was an important lesson that I have embraced throughout my career.
As the new president, I was scheduled to meet with various members of the staff and faculty. I had recently introduced total quality management as a tactic to achieve goals in the business office which garnered some success. My intention was to meet with constituent groups and discuss bringing that concept to other areas of the college. In one of those meetings, I was told that I was meeting with the B Team. When I asked why they were the B Team, I was told it was because they were “here before you got here and will be here when you are gone.”
It was a line in the sand. It was a power play. It was a revelation.
This article comes from the new issue of the Community College Journal, published by the American Association of Community Colleges.
Throughout the interview and onboarding process, I had prepared myself by becoming familiar with the college, its governance structure, financials, data and the community. I met with committees, leaders, faculty, staff and board members. I negotiated my contract and was selected to lead the college. I understood the expectations of the board and the community for advancing the college’s work internally and externally. I was ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. And then I met the B Team.
Take time to reflect
Taken personally, this comment could have been the start of an adversarial relationship. I could have stretched my presidential muscles, so to speak, and shown them who was literally the boss. Instead, I let the comment sink in and took some time to reflect. There was no doubt in my mind that the comment was meant to put me on my heels. It was, in effect, a warning to me about my new job as the college president.
That warning was a gift. With an open mind, I was able to clearly see that the B Team, while staking out their turf, was telling me that they were dedicated to the college and its students. I was the president, but they were the ones leading the students to find success. They were the ones who dedicated their careers to ensure that the role the college played was beneficial to the students and the community. They would be there even if I wasn’t.
It wasn’t about me. It was about them. As a leader I could choose to challenge their very vocal stance, or I could embrace their work and dedication to success to drive the initiatives that would foster more success. It was my first real look at the culture of the college and as a leader, I could focus on changing the culture to fit into my vision or I could study the current culture and determine how to accomplish my goals in a way that built positively on that culture and enhanced trust in leadership across the organization.
A valuable experience
For the record, the B Team was right. I moved on as I navigated my own career and they remained dedicated to the college and community. They challenged me as a leader and as a new president in a positive way. As I have noted many times, there is never a shortage of opinions and perspectives on the direction of the college’s work, but you will have to decide how to navigate within the existing culture. Every college has a B Team and I hope that you have the opportunity to work together with them to chart a course that leads to greater success.
