Archives For My Lessons From Last Week

What Giving Responsibility Can Do

22/01/2012 — 11 Comments

Last week I reflected on a period of about 5 weeks I allowed the team to take lead in areas I normally lead. During that period I was there as an observer and for (moral) support and allowed the team to call all the shots. OK, OK I was also there for quality control purposes. There! It’s out! I was also there for quality control purposes. Come on, I’m a leader concerned about our quality and standards… In fact, if you’re leader, I hereby give you permission to snoop! Yeah, snoop… “Quality control presence”  is just a sophisticated way of stating and justifying impromptu leader’s appearance / presence! I think this is something that should be inherent with every leader. As the leader you are the quality control watchmen. How have you been doing as the quality control in your team or organization? Do you have any set standards and clearly communicated expectations?

4975888229 e643c1397e b What Giving Responsibility Can Do

giving responsibility is not optional for leadership that seeks to empower and be effective; not a matter of choice || image by tableatny | cc

In retrospect I saw what giving more responsibilities to my team had yielded. There has been a consistent and significant growth. Giving responsibility has upped the confidence in the leadership of the individual members of my team. When you give a team member greater responsibility, it is also an expression of your confidence in them. With greater confidence your team members will  be more willing to chase greater goals. Thus, this enhances the performance and ‘delivery’ of your team. I’ll be honest and say there are times I have assigned responsibilities with some reservation and most of the times I got pleasant shock! Those you lead need to be affirmed not only in words, gifts etc but by being given greater responsibility.

Greater responsibility for some of my team members has also paved way for innovation. One of the guys was a given a job to do that I normally do. Because it is something that he didn’t do as often as I did it gave him freedom to approach the task assigned with a different approach from me. Not only did he do things differently but brought about a much appreciated “freshness” to an activity that we did regularly. When you want to “spice” things up engage a different head, voice and face.

Relinquishing some of my responsibilities also helped the team realize the demands of leadership at a level higher than what they were accustomed to. Some of my team got a more realistic insight into the cost of leadership and what it would  take for them to occupy the seat I do. When you see someone with the desire to lead this is a good way to give them a glimpse of what leadership at your level looks like. Give them some of your responsibility and use that as an opportunity to give them a picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. Share your heart and give a deeper insight of why you do some of the things you do.

Because we’re all not the same, we communicate things differently. Clarity was another way giving responsibility enriched my team and those we serve. When you have someone on your team that totally understands the vision and what you are trying to achieve, give them the freedom to express the vision in their own way. Some of the people may better understand one of your leadership team members better than you. Why not allow them to communicate vision so you can get through to those you, as the senior leader have not been able to effectively reach.

The truth is even though you are the leader, not everybody you serve understands you the same. Someone on your leadership may speak the language of the guy in the “pew” better than you! If you are always the one communicating, people may get to a point of just “switching off”. Don’t forget that a great part of your job as the leader is not to “evangelize” everyone but more to “evangelize evangelists” who will reach everyone.

Not giving responsibility is detrimental to the team, the leaders needing to be trained, the leaders and the vision of the enterprise. It is tantamount to sabotage

Try not to interfere too much and see what those you give responsibilities will do. Whatever the outcomes, there will be something to learn for you and or your team. Like parenting, one of the goals of leadership is equipping people for greater responsibilities. What better way is there for helping people embrace responsibility than by giving responsibility. Allow your leadership to be an enabling one, by equipping those you lead through giving responsibility.

Your thoughts?

 

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Successful Leaders Have A.D.D.

15/03/2011 — 7 Comments

Leadership is multifaceted. There are many things that the leader needs to pay careful attention to. He has to put together many components to make up the bigger picture. The leader is a ‘convergence point’ of sort. There is a lot of information that is often vying for his attention. And that leader’s success depends on how well he understands and interprets the implications.

The leader and  the team or organization’s success hangs in the balance of him not getting stuck on one aspect of his leadership.

8106410440 d216efaafb z Successful Leaders Have A.D.D.

resist the pressure to give all areas of your leadership or organisaiton equal attention, it is counterproductive || image by Hey Paul Studios | cc

The really successful leaders know that spending more time in one area has implications on other areas, and sometimes in a detrimental way. Thus, as a leader, you need to have “intentional Attention Deficit Disorder‘ (A.D.D.) in your leading. Your attention is one of the greatest resources you have, don’t spend it all in one area…

Success comes most readily to those who reject balance, who instead pursue strategies that are intentionally imbalanced – Marcus Buckingham

Balance will look different for every leader.

Determining which things will have your greatest and or shortest attention is important to the success of your enterprise

‘Perfect balance’ is a myth and counterproductive. Not everything you do deserves the same amount of time, attention and resources. Thus, balance is distributing your attention and resources in varying degrees as pertinent to each area and how it fits in to the big picture.

Your thoughts?

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Dominating From The “T”

23/12/2010 — Leave a comment

One of my lessons from last week was on the squash court. I think I played one of the best games I’ve played this year! One of the fundamental lessons my coach taught me in high school was the importance of the “T”. Let me explain. The “T” on the squash court is sort of the (technical) center of the court. The chances of you reaching just about any shot played are increased significantly when you’re positioned there. (My high school coach will be proud of me!) The player that can return to the “T” after playing or returning a shot is generally more likely to win a rally.

Before last week I played terrible games. I got into the games a little too late and as a result  lost a couple of matches. I hate losing… with a passion! In my match last week, I was down two games and if I’d lost the third game as well  I would’ve lost the match. During the break between the second and third game I decided to consult with one of my team mates. I asked for opinion from someone watching and not in the game per se. If you want to improve on your “delivery”, your colleagues / teammates is a good place to start for feedback and pointers. I saw some of the mistakes and loss of points I made in a new light. As my team mate explained where I’d lost most of my points I realized something.

In some instances I had given the ball back to my opponent and had played shots that didn’t force him to move from the “T”. I made it easy for my opponent to score against me! My game only started improving after I kept playing the kinds of shots that would force my opponent off the T and allow me to dominate the T. A reminder that one of the key ingredients to winning is positioning… This could mean your location mentally and even physically. Am sure you’ve witnessed organizations changing location in order to better their results or performance. They consider several things e.g. moving closer to resource supply or to their (potential) beneficiaries. Perhaps the physical move you may need to make is a holiday, just to clear your thinking etc… Either way, the move is always intended to be one that would move the team or organization into a position of strength.

Perhaps the position you need to change is in the “mental space”  or frame of mind. Like I did, ask those around about areas they feel you may need to make adjustments. Sometimes the change that give us the edge is in our mindset or attitude. Sometimes we do need someone looking at us “from the outside” to tell us that our attitude stinks and needs an overhaul of sort! Sometimes those around us tell us things we don’t want to hear but that is what is necessary to move us forward. Am not condoning imbalance or unfair criticism, but sometimes what makes criticism positive or negative is how we receive it and not just how it is given to us. Are you going to listen, asses, “spit the bones” out and grow or justify and make excuses when areas of possible growth are highlighted to you?

As you push toward your goals, ensure that you always return to a position that empowers you to move forward. Don’t waste the shots that you have now, they can be a good platform, empowering the ones you take after that. As you reflect on how far you’ve come, and look ahead, remember to always return to the position of strength and think beyond the shot you taking now, but also the one you’re going to take after it. Remember to consult with your team or colleagues and return to the “T”.

In Leadership, Life, Ministry, My Lessons From Last Week, Passion, Skills, Squash, Teamwork, Uncategorized, Vision , , , , , , , , ,
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The Speed Of Learning

06/12/2010 — 2 Comments

Last week I was in a conversation with a couple of friends and we got to talking about how people respond differently to the same thing. Among the things we discussed, was how people not only have different personalities but learning styles as well. As we spoke, I was reminded about something one of my high school teachers once said, “some of you will understand the concept I’m about to teach you before the end of this lesson, some of you a little later in the year or later in your lives and some of you never!” At the time I thought the teacher was very unreasonable… After all, a teacher’s responsibility is to ensure that all his students have clearly grasped the content of his teachings or lessons.

Interestingly, I realized that there are some people I have interacted with over the years and have attempted to help them grasp certain things. And, just as my high school teacher had said to us, in practice, I have experienced the same. I’ve concluded never to think that while all my “students” may claim they have understood and embrace what I’ve taught, it’s all not true! There are times that I thought I had grasped certain things. Only when I attempted the application did I realize that I was still wanting in my knowledge and understanding. I won’t be too quick to say I know something until I’ve tested myself, perhaps through application or explaining to someone else.

In a team context, never assume everyone has learnt something because they say they have. When you “teach” (in whatever form it may be) as a leader measure the extent to which those you serve say they understood you. Give them scenarios that will force them to engage with the lessons and or the principles thereof. One of the truest measures of learning is application and teaching what you have learnt or supposed to learn. If you’re trying to help your team or organization grasp something, make allowance for those that will not get it immediately. From experience, some of the people that have got things later have proved to be valuable assets in building into the vision and making it happen. Don’t discount people or some of those you lead because they didn’t get you the first time, or second, maybe even third time… You could be robbing your team and vision if you write them off too soon.

Don’t forget; some will get it now, some later, others a little later. Not everybody gets everything all the time or at the same time.

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The Importance of Introductions

27/10/2010 — 4 Comments

I recently had the pleasure to work with young people on a family camp. I really enjoyed it. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it much if I’d missed an important reminder. It is important to introduce yourself to people when you meet them for the first time. This takes away the initial awkwardness and helps facilitate interaction better from this start.

As people introduce themselves to you they also give you hints about how they’d like to be interacted with. Some people immediately tell you, “I’m merely introducing myself to you out of necessity and please keep everything to business, don’t ask how many cats I have!” Other people want to get something more out of their interactions than just a task at hand.

Larah McElroy flickr The Importance of Introductions

Some people are quick to let off what is closest to their hearts. If you listen carefully to them they are also telling you, “if you want me to care about what you have to say, show that you care about me by asking about whether my cat and dog get along!” Introductions generally set the tone for subsequent interaction.

People often start deciding whether they “buy into you” from the moment you extend your hand and utter the first words. Like the saying goes, “You’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Just a reminder: It is also not so much what you say but how you say it. Both are important hence the need to pay attention and be very intentional about them.

Put in a different way, introductions are the initial lens by which people view us and have a long-lasting effect that may take a while to change. I am not saying be someone you are not but be careful and intentional with your introductions.

What do you think is important when people introduce themselves?

illustration by Lara McElroy, flickr
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