‘That takes me to the TEAM circle,’ continued the young chief executive. ‘What stands out to me much more clearly is the importance of not just teamwork but also team spirit. The spirit of a group seems to have all the characteristics of an individual’s spirit but writ large.’
‘Yes, it’s what the French call esprit de corps – that common spirit animating the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion and a strong regard for the honour of the group. Another word borrowed from French is morale, which covers the mental, emotional and spiritual attitude of an individual, group or organization to the function or tasks expected of it. Both words suggest that sense of common purpose, that spiritual directed energy, that we touched upon earlier. To that we have to add another essential ingredient: confidence in the future.’
‘You said that one of the seven generic functions of strategic leadership is to release this corporate spirit into the organization, but how do I go about it?’
‘First, be aware of that corporate spirit – look at the symptoms or outward signs. For good or bad morale talks to you as a leader in the language of symptoms. Then, like a good doctor, all you have to do is remove the blocks or impediments that are preventing the greatness that is there from making its appearance. If you want glory, clean the windows.’