teamwork Archives - Debra Kasowski

Embracing the Late Adopters: Why True Leadership Means Uniting Every Team Member

October 28, 2025 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Every season, whether it’s the Toronto Blue Jays chasing the World Series or the Edmonton Oilers aiming for the Stanley Cup, a familiar dynamic appears.

Fans joke about the bandwagoners, “those who suddenly show up in team jerseys, cheering loudly despite not knowing every player’s name or the stats behind the season”. Some long-time fans roll their eyes, thinking, Where were you all season?

Yet, when those “bandwagoners” join, the energy and excitement multiply. Suddenly, there’s a collective belief—an entire city, sometimes a nation, uniting with one heartbeat.

This dynamic offers a powerful lesson for leaders about how to build true buy-in for change.

In every organization or movement, there are early adopters, the ones who see the vision instantly. They do not need convincing. They are all in, sleeves rolled up, ready to make it happen. These are your champions — the people who set the tone and build the momentum.

Then there are the late adopters — those who hesitate, observe, or even resist. The skeptics. Not because they do not care, but because they need to see it work and feel the value and results before they commit.

In leadership, it can be easy to get frustrated with the late adopters. To think, “Why can’t they see it? Why don’t they believe yet?” But here’s the truth: when the early adopters are thriving, celebrating small wins and creating positive ripple effects, that energy becomes magnetic.

Just as late-season fans do not want to miss out on playoff buzz, your late adopters are drawn in by what they see others experiencing.

That is not a weakness — it’s human nature.

Leaders succeed not by shaming or dismissing others, but by embracing them when they are ready to join. Meeting people where they are and welcoming newcomers with the same enthusiasm as early supporters builds unity. When everyone cheers together and belief spreads, real momentum is created.

So the next time you’re leading change, ask yourself:

What can I do to keep my early adopters inspired and visible?
What story, success, or experience might spark curiosity for the late adopters?
How can I make joining the “team” feel inviting rather than intimidating?

Whether it’s in the boardroom or the ballpark, the goal is to build a culture where everyone feels invested in achieving success.

And when that happens? You do not just have a few believers—you build a movement everyone wants to join.

Debra Kasowski is a two-time TEDx speaker, executive coach, three-time bestselling author, and host of The Millionaire Woman Show podcast. With a background in healthcare leadership and a passion for personal mastery, she helps high-achieving professionals silence self-doubt, lead with confidence, and take bold, intentional action. Currently pursuing her Master’s in Organizational Leadership, Debra blends real-world experience with evidence-based strategies to empower others to live and lead with purpose. A triathlete and resilience advocate, she inspires others to push beyond perceived limits and embrace the power of choice. Learn more at www.debrakasowski.com.

3 Ways to Visionary Leaders Can Engage Their Teams in Their Vision

February 9, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Visionary leaders are creatives by nature. You’ll notice that if you are a visionary leader that your mind goes off with ideas like fireworks at the county fair. You can see the vision in your mind, you can feel the excitement of the vision coming together in your body, and you believe it is possible to make your vision a reality. However, not all visionary leaders can get their teams to buy-in to your vision. Have you ever had a leader that had trouble explaining their vision? They can tell you what the final outcome can be but they can’t always explain how to get the destination. Visionary leaders need to engage their teams to fulfill the vision.

Write Out Your Compelling Vision. Get it out of your head and onto paper. You have tons of ideas battling for your attention and focus at any one time. Ideas can be grand but also fleeting so it is important to capture those ideas onto paper as soon as possible. Inking the vision onto paper helps you think about the vision and not miss a detail. Writing out your vision and goals helps you clarify your ideas.

Communicate Your Vision to Your Team. Be descriptive as possible. Remember you can see the vision clearly in your mind. People are not mind readers. Your team all learn in different ways. Some people need to see the vision. Using diagram, images, or models can help describe the vision. Others are auditory so explaining your vision in vivid detail with help them create the picture in their mind. Sensory learners learn by touch and kinesthetic learn by action to reinforce the learning. Most people have a combination of all four. Clearly communicating your vision reveals a roadmap as to where you are heading. It can act as a filter to ensure your team is “paddling” in the same direction versus chasing ideas that are not in aligned with your vision.

“Vision is the art of what is invisible to others.” Jonathan Swift

Engage Your Team by Asking Open-Ended Questions. Discover who the planners and implementers are on your team. These individuals are the ones who can see the vision and know how to make the vision a reality. What do they think about the vision? What would it take to make this vision a reality? What opportunities exist that can be leveraged? Your team members want to be engaged in meaningful and engaging work. What does making this vision a reality do for others? Allow them to be part of your vision and they will be your champions. Ensure that you check in at milestones to celebrate with them and see your vision unfold.

We need visionaries to inspire creative ideas and solutions. Visionaries can struggle from time to time in making the vision become a reality because the can see it in their minds but they have trouble articulating it to others. By writing out the vision, communicating the vision, and engaging your team in the vision, you will gain clarity, new ideas, and buy-in from your team. If any member of your team is paddling in a different direction, you will face resistance and may even head in a different direction should any other team members join them.

Share your compelling vision regularly. Ask questions regularly. Engage the right team members. Ensure they are paddling in the same direction. Lead them to your vision.

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

5 Misconceptions About Challenges That Every Leader Must Face

May 14, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

There isn’t a leader who has never faced a challenge before. They are tried and tested. They have faced heartaches and triumphs but there are still many misconceptions about the challenges they face.

Misconception #1: Building a trusting team is EASY.

When you put a group of people together, you can not assume you will have a high functioning trusting team by default. Each person comes to the group with different knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is part of a leader’s responsibility to know what some of these knowledge, skills, and abilities are so they can be leveraged to work toward a common vision. To do so, trust must be built. It is the foundation of the team and without trust, you will not get results because people will fail to commit to the vision and hold yours.

Building a trusting team takes time and effort. You are bringing together people of different backgrounds and experiences. You cannot expect everyone to “just trust each other”. The members of the team must get to know each other as people first and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities as they work toward a common goal. They need to be able to depend on each other to “get the job done”. It is not an easy task when team members are “me” focused versus “we” focused. There is a time and place to work on individual goals but they must be aligned with the common goal to be supported by the team.

Misconception #2: A leader does not need to ask for feedback.

Not asking for feedback is like saying, “Go ahead, run through the minefield. Nothing will happen.” Asking for feedback is crucial. As a leader, you must take the time to ask for and listen to the feedback offered by the people who work alongside you. They are at the frontline and can offer valuable input into the impact of daily operations. People are more engaged when asked for their opinion on things.

Misconception #3: Criticism is bitterness and should be discarded.

Even though criticism is hard to hear at the best of times, there is a lesson to be found. Ask yourself or the person offering the criticism what the ideal situation would look like. You may learn that information may have been miscommunicated or not communicated at all. When someone criticizes something, they obviously have a vision of what could be better so ask. The other thing to remember is not to take the criticism personally as it is someone’s opinion and not necessarily yours. What is the lesson to be learned? What can be improved?

Misconception #4: It is acceptable to let a setback set you back.

We hear so much talk about being vulnerable and as a leader, it is important to know how much to share and how much a setback will hold you back (and it better not for long or another leader will take your place). Your followers need someone to look up to in the face of setbacks. They need someone to continue to believe their skills and abilities to work toward a vision. They need to be reminded that setbacks are temporary and it is through action that new results can be achieved. A leader sets the tone for setting up the comeback from any setback. They may share their concerns; however, they must stand in confidence and stay motivated. The people see their leader as a role model and will do the same.

Misconception #5: To lead change, you must be at the helm 100% of the time.

Leaders are leaders because they lead, inspire, and build people. They know when they must step to the side and let their people demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities. They encourage creativity and innovation. They want to hear suggestions and ideas about how to become better. To do so, the leader must walk alongside their people to help them step up and into their potential. The leader does not have to be at the front the whole time. A leader must be able to share a clear vision for the people ensuring all actions align with the team’s core values.

If leaders led with conviction based on these misconceptions, there would be no followers. People need a leader who is willing to work toward building a trusting team and engaging their people in the process. A leader must trust in the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the people hired to do the work and support them in areas that require growth. A leader needs to be open to feedback and appreciate different perspectives. A leader needs to lead with confidence and share the helm with those who have strengths that the leader does not possess to be successful in facing new challenges and adventures placed before them.

What are some of the misconceptions you have encountered as a leader?

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. She is a contributing writer for Diversity and Fabulous at 50 magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. www.debrakasowski.com

Episode 88 – Building Trust Within a Team

April 18, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

“Trust is the glue that holds people together and is the lubricant that keeps an organization moving forward.” Colin Powell

There are a variety of definitions of trust in the dictionary. What it basically comes down to is the belief that you are confident and feel assured in a situation or with a person. A sense of security – saying “I’ve got your back.”

Trust within a team starts with the leader. As a leader, you must lead by example. To develop a high performing team there MUST be trust amongst the members of the team. Trust is the foundation of any winning team. It creates an environment where team members can share their thoughts and concerns even if they challenge the thoughts of the leader or other team members. A diversity of ideas and opinions can be a benefit to achieve results as different perspectives are considered. When there is trust, a team collaborates, cooperates, and works toward a common goal.
When new teams are formed or new members join a team, it is easy to believe that team member should trust each other by default. This belief is not always the case. You need to remember that team members come to a team with past knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities. It can be hard for a person trust new team members when they have had their trust betrayed. Individuals who mistrust may have experienced a traumatic event, had teammates that did not follow through on commitments or had been disappointed because a team member did not live up to their standards.

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s an essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey

Open communication is imperative. Patrick Lencioni addresses the absence of trust as one of the dysfunctions of a team. To build trust within a team, you must seek to understand the perceptions, assumptions, and opinions of your members. Be curious like a learner. Set aside any judgments, assumptions, or bias you have as they may cloud or discoveries. Team members should begin with the main assumption that each person comes to a team with the positive intention to do good work. There is a common trust we assume that people will not steal from or damage the place in which they work. Lencioni discusses “vulnerability-based” trust is his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Vulnerability-based trust is when you feel that you can share your strengths and forthcomings with a team, take a risk, ask for help, or make mistakes. When you are in a team that is built on this kind of trust, you create a circle of safety to which people belong and feel comfortable to share your ideas and concerns.

Establishing ground rules and having an open discussion about what trust means to each team member and as a group is beneficial. Ground rules like no blaming, complaining, or finger pointing help members take personal accountability, and no gossiping about others help to ensure cliques do not form. Encourage team building exercises that help people get to know each other as people not only as a colleague in their role. Ensure that team member are clear about their roles and expectations and that when leaving a meeting that they know what they have committed to doing. Create milestones where you can touch base with one another to ensure everyone is on task. If there is a breakdown in trust or conflict, it should be addressed as soon as possible. Putting aside these conversations because they are uncomfortable could lead to a crisis that could have been averted. Deal with trust issues and conflict as soon as they arise to keep your foundation strong.

You have a personal team which includes your: doctor, dentist, eye doctor, hairstylist, banker, accountant, mortgage broker, realtor, etc. You need to have trust in them to take care of you for you to look, feel, and perform at your best.

High performing teams are built on trust. What does trust look like to you? How much do you know about your team members as a person? How are these individual like you? What core values do you share? What is their “Why” for doing what they do? During this process, you may learn that we are more alike than different.

“When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.” – HOWARD SCHULTZ

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

Time: 11:18 min

Collaboration versus Competition – Which One is Better?

January 14, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard about having the competitive edge. When it comes to business and the work being done in organizations, the competitive edge occurs when each individual is honing their own skills therefore enhancing the effectiveness of teamwork.

Collaboration is often referred to as the new competition. Shifting from a “Me to We” mentality. The problems faced tend to be more complex and one person alone can’t always come up with a solution. It is becoming more important to tap into the diversity of your people. They come from diverse backgrounds, have a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and possess different strengths and experiences. Tapping into this rich resource can demonstrate how much more you can accomplish as a group versus what you can accomplish alone. When faced with challenges, you can use this as an opportunity to see things differently. Innovation emerges from the creativity of many people.

Collaboration is key as it allows everyone to have a voice and feel that their ideas are valued. When the focus is on one’s personal gain versus the collective outcome there can be division in the vision. Let’s say that two agents in the same company are focused on getting this sale of one client. The client may develop mistrust or even encounter are a negative experience because the focus between the two agents is on competition and they may seek to sabotage the efforts of each other. Competition should begin and end with you. It is the ability to push yourself to give your best.

Collaboration between team members is developed through connection and engagement. It is important to inform a network of support as you work together. Too many people scramble to develop a network in tough situations. Whereas in if you would have developed them along the way when you need it there readily available. When you work well together with other team members you naturally increase your team’s performance. The team starts to see themselves as part of the vision. When the team sees themselves as part of the vision, this is where true teamwork emerges. The people start to realize that the vision does not exist only at the top of the organization but within them.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
― Helen Keller

Competition is natural and it may be natural that you may feel intimidated when faced with competition. This follows its Competition can lead to insecurity and uncertainty. When you focus on the competition, you can drain your energy. You may even start questioning yourself and doubting your abilities. What is worse is that you may start copying or patterning yourself to be much more like the competition then separating you from the competition and being unique. You end up being another flavour of the day. You may even hoard your talents instead of using them to benefit the vision of the team.

When people are competing, they will back away from responsibilities if they don’t believe it is their job. Whereas, in teamwork, people often jump in and do things without being asked.

The only good thing that I can see about competition is that can discourage complacency and push an individual to work harder. There can be friendly competitions within the team but they can be used to challenge members of the team so that they can learn from each other in collaboration. Instead of making incentives monetary-based, consider having team members focused on performance and productivity in the way of the number of follow-up phone calls completed, the number of gratitude cards sent out, the number of lead conversions, and the number of e-mails addressed or cleaned out of the inbox. Find ways to drive results and improved performance by working collaboratively.

The true competition should be you becoming a better version of yourself. At the end of the day, wouldn’t it be more effective to utilize and leverage the strengths of the people within your business or organization to make a difference, make a change, or increase your profit margin?