During an off-season our staff went to a clinic where Marty Schottenheimer was presenting. In one session he spoke for 2 hours on one play…2 hours! This was a wake-up call for me at that time that more intense study had to happen. The feeling of not knowing what you think you should is a truly humbling experience. Since leaving coaching the subject that has lingered is leadership. The key for me has been to follow that “itch” with healthy curiosity. The most intriguing part is the intersection of the art & science of leading versus managing.
There’s a lot of talking about how to lead/manage better but for me it’s helpful to separate the two. We’ve all heard of the rule of 3’s but 2 is one less so here we go!
Manage Stuff, Lead People
Stuff has no feelings. We can manipulate it however we want with often very little risk. Working out the logistics of any process helps people. Rearranging stuff to work better for people who interact with it doesn’t require permission from the gear. What things are conspiring against productivity where you work? It can be a great puzzle to creatively solve & can be fun!
People are not easy, we’re all complicated in our own way. One thing is for sure though, people desire to be led not managed. We aren’t boxes in the warehouse, we have emotions. No matter our place on the organizational chart we have control over learning everything we can about our responsibilities & getting things done. Leading people demands a bit of “artistic” thinking so leave the science to the stuff.
Decide & Do
In her book, “The Greats on Leadership”, Jocelyn Davis mentions this anecdote: 6 frogs sit on a log. 4 decide to jump off. How many are left? 6, because deciding is different from doing! Really…frogs? Yep, why not! When we decide to do the right things for our people it speaks volumes about our commitment to their growth inside the enterprise. Our most valuable commodity isn’t what we do it’s who gets it done!
Fix the process, Coach the People
Colin Powell had leadership described to him this way…”you’ll know you’re a good leader when people follow you out of curiosity.” This means people trust you & when it exists we’re open to coaching. An agricultural model allows us to approach coaching as cultivating potential & gets us away from “pushing” to improve. When people are allowed consistent growth opportunities, employee engagement & overall happiness naturally increase. A collaboration culture gets rid of trying to be better or out-do our teammates. Stay curious, plant some seeds & watch how they grow to meet the challenges!
Enjoy helping others shine!
In general, people don’t leave a business they leave the people leading them. Great leaders allow us to fail but don’t make us feel like a failure. The goal is to transform ourselves from doing the work to getting work done through others. There are many leaders who embody this spirit. Find some that speak to you, study them & make an impact in your own special way. We’re all counting on you!
All the best,
Karl
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