Leadership versus Leavership
As I sat with Gary debriefing him on the comments collected in his interview based 360, the classic ‘who farted’? look came across his face as he recoiled from reading line after line describing how he is perceived by his team and colleagues.
“Gary is highly intelligent with an ability to find solutions faster than others. He needs to understand that not everyone is cut from the same cloth as him if he wants to adapt his leadership in a way that is most effective for others.”
“Gary looks disengaged in meetings and will often roll his eyes or show visible frustration as his team works their way towards solutions.“
It’s common for our clients to hear feedback like Gary received in his 360 because individuals who rise to leadership roles are often driven, intelligent achievers who have a track record of performance and results. During their individual contributor days, their reputation for excellence was demonstrated time and time again. The challenge a lot of leaders have is remembering that not everyone they are tasked with leading possesses their brand of horsepower so they will need to tailor their leadership to others.
In my corporate days, I remember a peer on my team asking me if our leader met with me in the morning to discuss what I’m planning to work on for the day, and again in the late afternoon to debrief on my progress. I thought it was an odd question and I answered honestly that I only meet with our leader to discuss my work and progress during out bi-weekly one on one. In my next one on one, I asked my leader about the question that my peer posed to me and inquired about the difference in her approach of leading me versus my teammate. She told me that her leadership approach for me was simply that, only for me. Tailor made for my needs, abilities and potential as she saw it. When I inquired about my peer, she simply said that her approach was what she needed.
Brace yourself for English class. The synonyms for the word ‘lead’ are guide, show, usher, steer, accompany, shepherd, assist, help and escort. Each one of those words indicate close proximity in space, time and relationship. That’s why the most effective leaders meet people where they are rather than sprinting ahead and screaming ‘CATCH UP!’. This is no easy task. It takes awareness, understanding, insight, patience, and most of all care.
When you think of each the people you lead, how varied are their development needs? How adapted is your approach from person to person? To determine an individual’s development needs, you need to first understand them. What makes them tick? Where are their current strengths and opportunities to grow? Where do you see them struggle? What do they avoid and why? What potential do you see in them that they may not see for themselves yet? Finding the answers to these questions will help you to develop an approach that is custom made for where they are, who they are and where they’re going. Most importantly, it will ensure that you guide, show, usher, steer, accompany, shepherd, assist, help, guide and lead them in the most impactful way. It will help you embrace leadership and avoid leavership.