Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

September 2, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

Your Team May Be Suffering (And You Don't Know Why)

Howdy ,

In this month of September, my focus is on empowering team leaders and department heads to achieve high-performance teams. By the end of the month, you should be better equipped to serve your team.

Let’s get into the hard work of getting you better.

Recently, I was facilitating a training session for team leaders and department heads across multiple countries.

It was fascinating to discover that across continents, the challenges are still the same.

Not that this was a surprise to me.

The foundation to lead a high-performing team is not what most people typically think about.

Why?

Because the game is now rigged differently.

Let me explain what I mean.

Most leaders focus on the external stuff – strategy, processes, metrics, systems. They spend countless hours perfecting their management techniques, learning the latest productivity hacks, and implementing new frameworks.

But here's the thing: all of that becomes noise if you haven't done the foundational work first.

The real foundation of leadership isn't about what you do. It starts with who you are.

And specifically, it's about your personal values.

Now, before you roll your eyes and think this is some soft, feel-good leadership fluff, let me share something that will change your perspective.

During another training session I facilitated with 14 team leaders in a company, we did a case study of different leaders with the companies or teams they led, and noticed something.

Companies and teams reflect the personalities of the leaders in charge.

Let’s do a quick one on Apple under Tim Cook and Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs was a perfectionist showman, so Apple under him chased a few “insanely great” products and cut everything else.

Tim Cook is a calm, disciplined operator, so Apple under him became a finely tuned, team-driven platform that scales, diversifies, and compounds profits.

Expect the same to happen to the teams you lead.

Here's the problem: if you don't know what drives you at your core, how can you make consistent decisions that your team can trust?

Think about it. Every day, you're making dozens of decisions that affect your team. Should you push back on an unrealistic deadline from senior management? How do you handle a team member who's struggling with personal issues affecting their work? Do you prioritize short-term results or long-term team development?

Without clear personal values, these decisions become random. Your team never knows which version of you they're going to get. One day, you're the supportive leader who prioritizes their well-being. The next day, you're the results-driven taskmaster who cares only about hitting targets.

This inconsistency is leadership poison.

Your team needs to know what you stand for. They need to predict how you'll respond in different situations. They need to trust that your decisions come from a place of consistent principles, not just whatever mood you're in that day.

But here's where it gets interesting.

Most leaders think values are just nice words you put on a wall or in a company handbook. But real values – the ones that actually drive behavior – are much more specific and personal.

For example, instead of just saying "integrity," use this statement: "I create environments where people feel safe to bring their authentic selves to work, even when it's uncomfortable for me."

See the difference? That's specific. It's actionable. And it guides better behavior in specific situations.

When a team member challenges a decision in a meeting, your value statement kicks in. Instead of getting defensive, you remember that you want people to feel safe being authentic, even when it's uncomfortable. So you lean in, ask questions, and create space for the conversation.

When I'm tempted to sugarcoat difficult feedback to avoid conflict, my value reminds me that real safety comes from honesty, not from avoiding difficult conversations.

This is what I call a "value statement" – a clear, specific description of how you want people to experience your values in action.

And here's the kicker: when your decisions consistently align with your clearly defined values, something powerful happens.

Your team starts to trust you at a deeper level. They know what to expect. They understand your "why" behind decisions, even when they don't like the decisions themselves.

But more importantly, you start to trust yourself. Decision-making becomes faster and clearer because you have a reliable framework to guide you.

The most successful leaders I work with all have one thing in common: they've done the deep work of identifying and articulating their personal values. Not the generic ones everyone talks about, but the specific, personal ones that actually drive their behavior.

This is why personal values are the true foundation of leadership effectiveness. Everything else you do as a leader – strategy, communication, team development – flows from this foundation.

If the foundation is weak or unclear, everything built on top of it becomes unstable.

But when you get this right, when you're clear on who you are and what you stand for, your leadership becomes magnetic. People want to follow you because they trust you. They know you'll make decisions based on consistent principles, not just whatever's convenient in the moment.

So here's my challenge for you: Can you clearly articulate your top 3 personal values in a way that actually guides your behavior?

If not, you've just identified the most important work you need to do as a leader today.

Now get down to doing it.

And keep winning at work and in life

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

P.S.: At the end of this month, I’ll be holding a 3-day workshop for team leaders and department heads. During the workshop, we will work through a three-part implementation strategy for building high-performance teams. Be on the lookout for this  

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