Blog

Over the holidays, my daughters and I sat down to watch 6888, a powerful film that tells the incredible story of the all-Black Women’s Army Corps Battalion during World War II. Known as the “Six Triple Eight,” these women were tasked with sorting and delivering millions of backlogged pieces of mail meant for soldiers on the front lines – an overwhelming challenge that no one else had been able to solve.

As we watched, I couldn’t help but see the parallels between their journey and what it takes to build high-performing teams in today’s world.

Vision Beyond the Task

The assignment seemed insurmountable: millions of undelivered letters, plummeting morale on the front lines, and a six-month timeline to solve a logistical nightmare. But their leader, Major Charity Adams, reframed the mission.

Sorting mail wasn’t just about logistics – it was about connection. Ensuring soldiers received news and support from loved ones became a matter of morale, directly impacting their ability to serve. This shift in perspective transformed a daunting task into a mission with purpose, igniting the team’s commitment to a greater cause.

Pausing to Harness Diversity

Despite their clear vision, the enormity of the task soon became evident. The team could have continued to push harder, but instead, they chose to pause and reassess.

In that moment, they recognised the diversity within their group – different skills, talents, and perspectives – and restructured their approach. By aligning their collective strengths to the mission, they created new systems and processes that dramatically increased efficiency.

The result?

They completed the task in just 90 days, not the expected six months – a remarkable feat that exemplifies the power of purposeful teamwork.

Lessons for Today’s Leaders

The story of the 6888 offers profound insights for leadership today. A compelling vision connects tasks to a greater purpose, inspiring teams to go above and beyond. Pausing to reassess allows teams to identify and harness untapped strengths, while embracing diversity leads to innovative solutions and extraordinary results.

Leaders frequently face overwhelming demands – tight deadlines, complex projects, and diverse teams with untapped potential. These pressures often lead to misaligned priorities, underutilised talent, and missed opportunities for innovation.

These are dynamics we encounter frequently in our Senior Leadership Team Coaching and Away Days. Teams often come away from these sessions saying they feel re-energised, aligned, and more purposeful. When we meet them again 6 months later to reassess, we see the tangible, measurable impact on their business results and a clear return on investment.

Are You Truly Making the Most of Your Resources?

Too often, leaders focus on what they lack – more time, more people, more resources – when the real opportunity lies in maximising what they already have. The Let Go Leadership Scorecard challenges you to stop overlooking the strengths within your team and start asking the hard questions:

• Are you building trust, or unintentionally eroding it?
• Are you fostering engagement, or watching potential go untapped?
• Are you empowering your team, or holding them back without realising it?

I’m excited about the new teams we’re onboarding this year and can’t wait to reconnect with our Leader As Coach cohorts to check in on last year’s results and ensure they’re set up for an extraordinary 2025.

Take a moment to reflect: are you fully harnessing the incredible diversity within your team? By embracing the unique perspectives and strengths of those you lead, you can drive innovation, deepen collaboration, and create a lasting impact.

Here’s to a 2025 where diversity is fully embraced, and every voice contributes to powerful, purposeful outcomes!