Today’s interconnected and dynamic landscape demands a new kind of leadership – one that goes beyond the traditional approaches and involves far more than the person who holds the top title. Effective teams and organizations recognize that leadership is something that includes everyone on a team and in an organization. How well each individual leads determines the effectiveness of a team’s overall performance. Fortunately, there is a way to assess the effectiveness of a team’s leadership process. By using the Direction – Alignment – Commitment (DAC)™ framework, you can ensure that all members of your team have a shared understanding of what team success looks like and agree on what they are aiming to accomplish, that team members coordinate their work with one another, and that each member feels responsible for the success and well-being of the team.

Shared Direction is a key driver of successful teams and organizations. To truly have shared Direction, everyone involved needs to understand where they are going and why. vTeams that consistently find success in the face of uncertainty are inevitably teams who have a clear and shared sense of Direction and understand their individual role in shaping it. Being on a team that has Direction lifts everyone up and allows the individual’s and team’s focus to shine. But just finding or outlining a shared Direction is not enough on its own. The real key with Direction is being able to sustain it for the long-term.

The common thread of working in today’s world – regardless of industry or position – is the need to work with others. Whether we work in person or virtually, we still work with other people in one way or another every day. In order to be successful members of teams or functioning members of today’s society, we need to collaborate and be in sync. In other words, so much of our success depends on our ability to find Alignment with others. When teams are well aligned, the work of each individual is well-coordinated with the work of others. There is less resistance between members and things run smoother. This leads to the scientific phenomenon called flow, even complicated tasks seem effortless for a team.

Commitment is mutual responsibility. When teams that we're a part of have strong Commitment, we feel responsible for the success and well-being of everyone else and know that other team members feel the same. We trust one another and gain energy from that reciprocated respect and effort. But that change is only sustainable when the commitments are mutual and positive, and not all commitments are. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to foster a culture where members can commit themselves to their team and organization by creating opportunities to bond, giving credit when and where it’s deserved, and listening and supporting other members. Real Commitment doesn’t come from the initial act of making a Commitment. It comes later, as it’s had time to be tested and is legitimately sustained. Truly committed teams face moments of adversity and shine through them due to their sense of discipline, purpose, and accountability.