The Difference Between a Compliant Group and a Committed Team
- Dave Anderson
- Aug 19
- 3 min read
If you find yourself leading a compliant group, it may be time to look in the mirror.
Which do you want to lead - a compliant group or a committed team? I see this dynamic in the fire service, in law enforcement, in the military, and in businesses. You can have two groups who make the same pay, work the same hours, use the same equipment, and have the same skills. But one is a compliant group and one is a committed team. There is only one difference between the two groups - the leader.
We’ve all seen how the compliant group operates. This group does things because they have to, and they usually only do the minimum. They wait to be told what to do. They rarely work outside of their assigned tasks. They are unlikely to take a risk or take the initiative. The members of the group drag themselves into work, and they rarely perform above average.
By contrast the committed team does things differently. They do things because they want to, and they usually go above and beyond expectations. They need little guidance. They see something that needs done, and they do it. They don’t hesitate to take action. They seem to enjoy their work, and they produce at a high level.
If we flipped the leaders of these two organizations, the compliant group would become a committed team and the committed team would become a compliant group.
As leaders we make choices that determine whether people are only compliant or whether they are committed. The culture of those groups hinge on who we are as a leader.
Compliant Group Leaders Micromanage Make people earn their trust Train competence only: skills/tactics Argue with feedback Pragmatic decisions Prevent mistakes Avoid hard conversations Harp on errors-rarely celebrate successes Treat people like tools | Committed Team Leaders Let people make their own decisions Are the first to trust Train competence and develop leaders Accept feedback Pragmatic decisions filtered through values Expect mistakes with growth afterwards Provide real feedback Encourage more and correct less Treat people like teammates |
Which column do you fall under? If you find yourself leading a compliant group, it may be time to look in the mirror. When leaders exercise Humility and take a hard look at themselves, that is the first step to changing a compliant group into a committed team. Because the fastest way to change a team is to change the leader.
Question:
● What changes do you need to make in order to build a committed team?
● Which Habit of Character will you need to exercise? Courage or Humility?
FINALLY!
Becoming a Leader of Character Audiobook is available on Audible. If you are an Audible user, then order it here:
You can also order on Spotify and Apple!
Audiobook sales have taken over for ebook sales. When we first published Becoming a Leader of Character in 2017, people were predicting ebooks were going to kill traditional hard copy print books.
That didn’t happen. In fact, print books’ percentage of sales are very similar to what they were in 2017 when we first published. What has changed is that audiobooks have eaten away at ebook sales.
Therefore, if you have been waiting on the audiobook version of Becoming a Leader of Character it is now here! You can get it on Spotify, Audible or any other major platform for audiobooks.
While you drive or workout, marinate your brains in the Six Habits of Character - Courage, Humility, Integrity, Selflessness, Duty, and Positivity.
Order now on your favorite platform:
Character Counts!
Dave
