Episode 38 Succeed Together: 8 Ways Leaders Win with Joshua K. McMillion
How Leaders Win by Succeeding Together
Tales of Leadership | Joshua McMillion | Episode 38
In this episode of Tales of Leadership, Joshua McMillion walks through the fourth phase of leadership: succeeding together. He makes it clear from the beginning that this phase marks a major shift in a leader’s journey. At this point, success no longer depends on your ability to perform the work yourself. Instead, leaders are judged by their team’s ability to execute. That is a crucial transition. If leaders fail to move from individual contribution to collective momentum, they will stall on their leadership bridge and limit both their growth and the growth of the organization.
Joshua frames this phase as a choice. Leaders either gravitate toward their team or back toward themselves. To succeed together, a leader must deliberately move toward the team, build the environment for momentum, and create the conditions where people can thrive. Leaders do not win this phase by doing more themselves. They win by building a team that can execute together. That idea sits at the heart of the entire episode.
The first way leaders win at this phase is by weaponizing their strengths. Joshua explains that purposeful, accountable leaders understand their own strengths and know how to use them for the team’s benefit. But he is equally clear that success does not stop with self-awareness. Leaders must also understand the strengths of the people around them. When leaders know how each person contributes, they can align those strengths in a way that creates momentum and amplifies results. Whether through tools like CliftonStrengths or simply through intentional one-on-one conversations, leaders must deliberately uncover what makes their people effective. A leader’s strengths matter, but team success comes from aligning everyone’s strengths toward a shared outcome.
The next way leaders win is by creating the path. Joshua reinforces that leadership is a journey, and leaders must cast a vision others can follow. Teams do not naturally move toward shared success unless someone clearly lays out the direction. But he also makes an important point: people will not buy into the vision until they first buy into the leader. Trust comes before traction. If people do not believe in the leader, they will not fully commit to the mission. That means leaders must align words with deeds, operate from clear values, and demonstrate the kind of consistency that creates confidence in the team.
Joshua then moves into crucible events and explains how essential they are for building stronger teams. He describes crucible events as stressful, controlled experiences that reveal character, expose weaknesses, and forge stronger bonds. Teams need opportunities to fail, learn, and grow in environments where the consequences do not permanently damage the organization. These moments are not about punishment. They are about development. When teams are tested in controlled adversity, they gain clarity on who they are, where they need to improve, and what it takes to perform when it counts. Take the time to fail and learn in crucible events so you do not fail when it matters.
Another critical way leaders win is through deliberate feedback. Joshua emphasizes that failure is not the problem. Failing without learning is. Purposeful, accountable leaders create deliberate spaces to capture lessons learned and improve the organization. He highlights the military practice of after-action reviews and breaks down key questions leaders should ask: what was supposed to happen, what actually happened, what did we learn, and how will we improve next time? Deliberate feedback creates better systems, sharper teams, and stronger future performance. Teams that learn well improve faster.
Joshua also stresses the importance of creating a positive environment. Leadership is hard, chaotic, and demanding, but that does not excuse leaders from building a healthy team culture. In fact, it makes it even more important. He explains that purposeful, accountable leaders create time to celebrate wins, recognize excellence, and make work environments engaging. Leadership means leading the whole person, not just the employee or subordinate. That includes recognizing the impact of families, creating positive team experiences, and building an environment people want to be part of. Leaders who neglect culture eventually pay for it in trust, morale, and performance.
From there, the episode shifts into prioritizing tasks. Joshua uses the powerful metaphor of glass balls and rubber balls. Some tasks, if dropped, shatter and are difficult to recover from. Others can bounce and be addressed later. Leaders must know the difference and help their teams know it too. Prioritization is one of the clearest ways leaders shape momentum. If leaders do not set priorities, someone else will. And if they fail to categorize what matters most, teams will spend energy in the wrong places and lose their path.
Joshua also talks about shaking up the status quo. Purposeful, accountable leaders are not afraid to make changes early when they identify issues that are holding the organization back. He warns that leaders who delay change often lose momentum and keep organizations stuck. Change is rarely universally popular, but leadership is not a popularity contest. It is a responsibility. If a change will add value, improve systems, and strengthen the team, leaders must have the courage to act. Leadership requires the courage to challenge what is not working and the humility to make changes for the good of the team.
The final way leaders win at succeeding together is by setting the bar. Joshua explains that leaders must clearly define the standard of excellence and hold both themselves and others accountable to it. Standards cannot be selectively applied. The moment leaders make exceptions for themselves or for others based on rank, influence, or convenience, they erode trust and weaken the culture. Everyone is watching. Some are watching for the cracks. Others are watching because they see the leader as a model. Either way, the standard begins with the leader. Leaders must routinely live the values they want replicated in the organization.
By the end of the episode, Joshua makes it clear that succeeding together is not about soft leadership or lowering the bar. It is about building stronger teams through shared vision, accountability, positive culture, and deliberate development. Leaders who want to move beyond individual success must commit to creating the path, aligning strengths, and leading in a way that multiplies others.
Final Thoughts
The fourth phase of leadership demands a shift from personal performance to collective success. Leaders who win at this phase understand that momentum comes from building people, clarifying the path, and creating the environment for teams to thrive. Success together requires accountability, trust, and the courage to make changes that strengthen the organization. If you want your team to succeed together, you must be willing to lead with intention, develop others relentlessly, and create a culture where excellence becomes the standard.
After Action Review
How are you currently leveraging your team’s strengths to create momentum and shared success?
What crucible events, feedback loops, or growth opportunities are you creating to strengthen your team?
Are you clearly setting the standard in your organization—and are you holding yourself to it first?
Tales of Leadership Mission: To develop Purposeful Accountable Leaders (PAL)
by arming you with the tools required to lead with purpose, integrity, and accountability.
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