 Principle 6 – Promote team engagement and effective cross-business cooperation Imagine a team where every player is out for themselves. Without shared goals, communication and cooperation, it will be chaos on the field. But too often, organisations miss this lesson because departments are isolated and disconnected from each other. Like a coach, a strong leader must inspire and insist upon collaboration and trust between all players. To effectively implement strategic programmes across your business, you need to bring your team together by engaging key employees across all departments. This applies to more than just senior leadership. Gain genuine buy-in for middle and line managers by engaging and activating them as champions of your team strategy. Take nothing for granted. Your entire team must share a common understanding of your strategic goals and set clear plans for achieving those priorities. Transparency is key as you engender trust in your vision and communicate it across departments involving everyone in the process. And together you'll all be playing on a winning team.