Breaking through legacy thinking in order to thrive

High performing teams require a purpose they believe in, clear goals, and authority to implement the work assigned. This requires focus and deliberate practice. It also takes recognizing the real obstacles before us.

James Clear author of Atomic Habits, defines deliberate practices as, “a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic.” As he explains, it helps us get the most of what we got.

What is stopping us right now?

The idea we have to chase people down to get them to do the right thing has been ingrained into the fabric of organizations. Chasing people takes a lot of energy most of us can’t sustain. Could there be a better way?

Obstacle 1: How we see our teams

First, many of us see our work in terms of herding cats. Honestly, herding cats is a reality for most of us. In fact, I recently attended a conference where a speaker taught us how to become more efficient at this practice. The training may have been valuable to many, but my mind kept thinking we need to find a better way.

Imagine what could happen if we spent our efforts transforming our environment rather than simply enduring it. What would that look like and could we make it a reality?

Retire the old paradigm

The transformation in our thinking is not as difficult as we might believe, but it will take work. We begin by freeing our people to use their skills and giftings to develop and implement solutions. We need to be courageous and trust people more. When they are positioned in the right environment and have the tools they need they can deliver something remarkable.

However, we can’t do that until we retire the old way of thinking. Our people cannot simply become an extension of ourselves.

I believe that the way we see our teams effects how we lead our teams. And how we lead our teams impacts their performance.

Who’s responsibility is it?

As a servant leader, we should be looking to remove obstacles, not become one. When we have a strong feeling that someone should be doing something; that person is usually us. Avoid the temptation to become a victim. Stay active in making change. Invite others to come with you.

Obstacle 2: Authority alone

Second, those that practice using their title to achieve results needlessly add risk to their organizations. Authority alone is not enough to achieve the long-term results we crave. Authority alone . . . it doesn’t scale. It can however lead to increased suspicion among employees and even tempt us in using coercive practices.

Increased Suspicion

Employees are suspicious of leaders today because they see us intervene at the slightest hint of a problem. Some even swoop in and take over in what I’ve been told is called a seagull attack.

This is where the leader flies in and back out, leaving the team in a worse condition. The saddest part of the story. They thought they were helping.

Coercion

Worse, some managers coerce others to get things done their way. Most of us have encountered this type. Make no mistake. Under the leader who is looking to grow their kingdom through the accumulation of power, we will pay; one way or another.

Over time their behavior infects the work environment. When the organization becomes too corrosive people leave, just as the author of The MECE Muse, Christie Lindor asserts.

In a recent interview published by Bently University, she says, “Most turnover is the direct result of a broader system, the organizational culture.”

Good News: The environment is changing

It is no surprise that those who choose to micro-manage in the face of the tidal wave of change have become increasingly ineffective. Those that have read Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal (McChrystal Group) understand that even the military has given up on this approach.

They are trading the strict authoritative approach to decentralize decision-making. In his book, Turn the Ship Around, David Marquet provides a new framework for decision making called leading by intention to drive decisions to the lowest possible level. He writes,

“Leadership should mean giving control rather than taking control and creating leaders rather than forging followers.” ~ David Marquet

In my experience, I’ve seen when leaders begin to see their people differently, expecting people will follow, many are ready. They are just waiting for the right leader.

Obstacle 3: Employee disengagement

Last, we need to find new ways to engage employees because there is a real cost. Gallup reports, “Employees who are not engaged cost their company the equivalent of 18% of their annual salary.”

Are you ready to become part of the solution?

It begins with a decision.

Decide what kind of leader you want to be and identify where you are today. The difference between the two is your leadership gap. Your first step is to decide to close it.

Take Action

Identify your “Why”. Simon Sinek has a great book on this topic and continues to help transform organizations through his teaching. Whatever your “Why” is, be sure it is big enough to help power you through the hard times.

Closing your gap will require changing behavior. This won’t happen by itself and without effort. Years ago, I was motivated to change because I realized I couldn’t become the exemplary leader described in the quintessential leadership book, The Leadership Challenge written by James Kouzes and Barry Posner without doing something different.

Learn

Get unstuck. Here are a few specific suggestions:

1. Change how you do things
Learn to do things differently. Dr. Marshall Goldsmith's book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There may provide needed motivation. You can find a YouTube of one of his talks below:

2. Leverage your strengths.
Identify and apply your strengths. There are 34 distinct strengths as defined by the Gallup organization. They have a weekly podcast called Gallup Theme Thursday you might enjoy as you identify ways to maximize them.

3. Increase your emotional intelligence.
Explore your emotional intelligence to become more self-aware. The book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is an excellent resource. You can watch one of the authors Travis Bradberry share the importance of emotional intelligence in his TEDx talk.

Act

Let me tell you a personal anecdote. When I was in grade school, I remember during recess we picked teams to play a sport. There would be two captains, and all the kids would line up waiting to be picked.

Pick me. Pick me! Pick ME!

For a long time, I was one of those kids.

I’ve since discovered that leading doesn’t work like that. The time of waiting to be picked is over. As Seth Godin taught me, it is time for us to begin picking ourselves. Look for ways to amplify your leadership and resist the temptation to live someone else’s values.

If you commit to leading yourself, you can earn permission to lead others. Our teams are counting on us!

Final thoughts

Overcoming these obstacles is within our control. Most people show up to do great work. They need a leader to see and respect them for their talent and contributions. As we learn and grow we can become the leader others are waiting to follow. Over time we will raise others more prepared to lead in the new environment we are creating. An environment based on respect, trust, and commitment to service.