Leadership

You made it to the last part of the Sticky Teams series! We are ending with my FAVORITE part of leadership. Equipping people with the skills and knowledge to do the job & letting go to empower them to take on the responsibility. This is my favorite thing to do as leader because you get to actually see the progress they make. I love it when you see that light bulb moment when something clicks for them or when they shine in a meeting. It’s like a proud mom moment for me.

The most important part is training is explaining the why behind how you do things. This is especially critical in the beginning of training. You are flooding the person with a fire hose of information. They will remember the why, but may not remember every step of what to do. Try to “drip” the information to them instead of “spraying” them with the fire hose.

People do not have to think or do the work exactly like you do. This is again where the why comes in. If they can accomplish the output you that is needed, it doesn’t matter how they got it. Take time to learn from them. Empower them to try something new. This is how we get better individually, but also as a company.

I know you have heard the saying ‘actions speak louder than words.’ This is key to being a great leader vs manager. Do your actions as the leader show them what is important? Do you do what you say you will? How do you make your people feel? Are you a role model for them?

These questions are critical to being a great leader. And you don’t have to have people report to you to be a leader. Lead upwards, sideways, and downward. Be the example. Strive to work hard and play hard. Have fun with everything you do. It will make the day go by smoother and quicker.

I hope that you have at least 1-2 takeaways from this 5 part series. If you want to dig in more, please watch the RightNow media series, buy the book, or get it from the library. Note: I am afflicted with it….just really enjoyed it!

I gotta admit the older I get, the new hires just keep looking younger and younger. I used the be one saying “that was the year I was born” when people say when they started working or graduated. The tables have finally turned & I get to see a new perspective. (Literally the other day it was my coworkers birthday. She was born the same year I graduated high school!!). I am not that old…I swear…lol

Alright, back to the point here. The young hires that have potential are what we would call “Young Eagles.” Why eagle? Because they have potential to soar in your company. That potential is what will be the future of the company if you can provide the right environment for them.

How can you provide the right environment that retains these young eagles:

• Don’t clip their wings: If you don’t give them a place they can learn and grow, they will go somewhere else to fly. Give them a platform to be able to highlight their skills and abilities. Allow them to show what they can bring to the company.
• Be strategic: Understand where their passions are. Allow them opportunities to explore what interests them. Assign a mentor. Give them a path that they can follow to grow and move within the company. Be strategic with letting them know they have a future with the company.
• Empower them: Let them try and fail without getting in trouble. Teach them the “why” behind the “what.” They will learn so much more this way. Plus they will probably find better ways to do the what if they understand why the information is needed.

Here is a tough question to ask yourself as a leader:

When it comes to decision meetings or important meetings. Are you “keeping them in the loop” or are you allowing them “a seat at the table?” Now they can’t be in all the management meetings, but when it comes to something they are directly involved in or have knowledge that would help. Invite them for at least the beginning part to highlight their knowledge. This will give them a sense of how much you appreciate them. If you are always just keeping them in the loop, they may feel like they are not good enough or even that you are taking credit for their idea or work.

Bring these young eagles along with you as you learn. Teach them and mentor them. You will be surprised by how quickly they can learn and grow. Teach them to soar to make not only your job as the leader easier, but make your company better.

6 things teams should know & focus on:

1 Ignore your weakness

We always hear that we need to improve our weaknesses. I am giving you the opposite advice. Work on your strengths to become an expert at what you are good at and usually enjoy. With one exception – if your weakness is a “fatal flaw” then you should work on it. Fatal flaw means that it would hurt your team if you didn’t fix it.

2. Surveys are a waste of time if done anonymously

I was actually a big pusher of surveys until I started getting some “crappy” turnout or unhelpful responses. Surveys are good if the person puts their name down on it. When it is anonymous, people usually just complain and you don’t know where the problem is.

Weigh the opinions of who gave the feedback. Look more at who said what to address the right problem

3. We don’t need buy in

I love this one especially since I am continuously implementing new processes or changes. We don’t need their buy in, but we do need permission. This is a huge difference with those “late adopters.” If you give them the full game plan then they can figure out how to sabotage it.

4. Let the squeaky wheel squeak

We all have that one person who is constantly complaining about or finding something wrong. This person will always have something to complain about so don’t put as much stock into their complaints. Put stock in the people that hardly ever complain. Then you know you have a problem.

5. Let dying things die

Sometimes we get invested in something and don’t want to let it go. We think if we throw more resources or money at it, that it will get better. Keep in mind the big picture as a leader. If it is sinking, don’t let it sink the entire ship. It’s okay to let go. Learn something from what happened & pivot to something that is thriving. It’s never a failure if you learn and use those learnings for the future.

6. Plan in Pencil

Planning is IMPORTANT. Planning in pencil is even more important. You want to plan out what needs to happen, but also be flexible enough to pivot when needed. Avoid getting stuck and spinning your wheels if you are stuck.

Following these 4 principles will help you become the leader you were meant to be:

• Give your time to those you lead. Be available to them and have an open door policy where they can come to you.
• Make sure they have the training they need to do the job. Have the experience & knowledge to help them along the way. Don’t hoard the knowledge. Share the knowledge. Empowering them means you are leading and not managing.
• Be present with them. Actually see what is going on than just hearing about it. There are always more than one side to the story.
• Show passion for your work and genuinely care about them. Don’t make it all about work. Know what they like to do & what’s going on in their life.

Teams can easily fall apart when everyone is focused on their own goals without having a group mission. Everyone needs to know the “rules” of the game.

What game is your team playing?

It is dependent on how many people & the type of team you have.

Track

When you are on the “track” team you practice with your teammates, but it is all about your own PR. This is usually for start up companies or side hustles.

Golf

You go out on the golf course with friends. You share a golf cart, but your results are completely up to you. Others see how you play so there is some peer pressure.

Basketball

You have a small team that you know all the positions. You work together to make great plays to win the game. You are in sync with each other and can do other positions when needed. Most teams get stuck and comfortable at this point.

Football

This is when you have a large team that takes 2 buses to games with the offense & defense. The offense doesn’t know or even care what the defense plays are and that’s okay. This gets into empowering your team. Thinking about who knows what and who needs to know.

Are you Playing the Same Game?

You will see these signs if your team members are playing different games.

• You will see frustration at the lower level management
• Your meetings keep taking longer and longer to finish. People are not aligned on the objective or not being empowered.
• Having miscommunication or lack of communication.

These next few blog posts are inspired from the Sticky Teams RightNow media series.

If you are a leader of a team, these posts are full of great insights & takeaways to not only make your team better, but your organization also.

First, you need to have a clear mission or vision. The team has to know & understand that vision. Don’t try to make it this fancy statement that may or may not be true and can be interpreted in different ways. Keep it simple and true.

Have your mission visible as a reminder. When things get hard, we may get tunnel focused on the small goals that we lose sign of the big picture/vision. As a leader, it is your job to make sure your team is headed in the right direction. This means you can’t get into the weeds. You have to be the one to see in front, back, and all around.

Three P’s that can tear your team apart:

• Power
• Prestige
• Preference

Be aware of these 3 behaviors. “Guard the gate” to your teams time and influence. Don’t let the wolf into the sheep pen.

Having real relationships with your team builds your team. They will have trust in you and you can trust them. Getting to know them you can understand how they work to make sure you are being the leader they need.

Remember that people problems are not like wine. They don’t get better with time.

Speak up when you first see a problem. This will take courage. Trust your gut

When adding someone new to the team, your team dynamics will change. You will start back to the storming phase. Make sure to go through the steps to get back to norming & then performing.

Questions to ask before adding a team member:

• Do they fit within the current team’s personality and character?
• Do they fill a need in the team? Don’t just add to add.
• Do they play in the sandbox well?
• Are they flexible? Especially when it isn’t their way.

Our culture loves talking about leadership. We have so many resources at our fingertips – books, podcasts, articles, and blogs discussing the next best leadership solutions. I love John Maxwell’s saying, “If you think you’re leading, but no one is following, then you are only taking a walk.” Leaders need people. Without people to lead there’s no leading happening. So, before adopting the label of leader or climbing new ladders of leading, we have to ask ourselves a question: “Do I value people?”

Another way to ask this question is simply, “Do I care for people?” Or, “Am I motivated to lead for the prestige or power I can gain?” Our world contains enough self-interested leaders. Will you value people first, before trying to lead them anywhere?

Think about the people you consider leaders. What made you think of them as a leader? What actions did they do to have influence over you?

God gives us guidance in what great leaders do. They live righteously. Meaning, they do the right things. In other words, they live by a higher standard than the shifting cultural trends. Additionally, great leaders do not compromise morally. Great leaders live a life according to God’s standards and let God’s morals shape every decision. Cracks in a leader’s character will widen to crevices that will grow to craters, then become canyons. Following God’s standards keeps leaders doing the right things consistently. 

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Who have been the best leaders in my life? (e.g., coaches, teachers, parents, pastors, etc.)
2. What qualities make them leaders worth following?
3. Have I ever been frustrated with a leader who did not do the right things morally? Why did he/she fail in this way?
4. Do I find myself compromising morally in my leadership responsibilities by playing favorites or not addressing problems? How so?