Do You Want Leaders, or Lemmings?
Initiative is a good thing, right?
“Initiative” is high on most leaders’ wish lists for new hires. We want the go-getters—the ones who bring solutions instead of problems, take responsibility for improving the work environment, and deliver results that surprise and delight our customers. When we’ve got subordinates who behave more like leaders than lemmings, we get a dynamic and collaborative workplace marked by:
Increased innovation - When everyone feels empowered to contribute ideas and take ownership of their work, it can lead to more creative solutions.
Clearer communication – When tackling bigger projects, those with a leadership-orientation are looking at the bigger picture: the end result, impact to personnel and resources, likely obstacles, and more. Taking this broader perspective can make their communication more complete, context-rich, and direct.
Higher engagement - When people feel like they have a say in what's going on and are valued for their contributions, they tend to be more attentive and motivated.
Faster decision-making - With everyone taking an active role in decision-making, it could lead to faster and more efficient processes. In order to reap this benefit and not get mired in it, team members must be clear about their lanes of authority and autonomy.
More accountability - When people act like leaders, they’ve got more buy-in, so they tend to take more ownership of their behavior and results.
These benefits check SO MANY leadership headaches off the list, which can make YOUR OWN experience of being a leader much more fun and rewarding.
Let It Go!
This sounds like nirvana, and it can be. But I often see leaders struggle with letting go. To truly harness the potential of your go-getter subordinates, you may need to
1. Grieve the past, when you wore more of a “technical expert” hat and got heaps of praise for your owninitiative.
2. Explore a wider range of influence other than direct control or micromanaging.
3. Stop fostering a zero-tolerance culture around failure, but rather embrace failure as a learning and development tool.
4. Be okay with not being the go-to guy or gal, because your subordinates will start collaborating more with each other and not relying so much on your wisdom and experience.
When you change your paradigm around these four things, you will be truly free to lead at a higher level.
You Still Have an Important Job
When you’ve got subordinates that behave like leaders, you still have responsibilities to drive long-term excellent team performance. You do this through
Setting direction,
Building capacity (developing team members and systems),
Hosting an environment where people thrive; and
Ensuring alignment between the team’s performance and the organization’s vision and values.
These are the more strategic and catalytic tasks of leadership—the ones that rely on YOU to do for your team.
Are You Resisting Others’ Initiative?
Here’s the twist: subordinates with initiative can be annoying!
They might see opportunities and threats that you didn’t see (at least not before they brazenly suggested them to you).
They may overstep their bounds—swim in other’s lanes, or assume more authority than was granted—in order to solve a problem you didn’t even know existed.
They could get frustrated when you don’t see or act on an innovative solution that feels like a no-brainer to them.
Heck, they might even insist on your own leveled-up innovation, communication, ownership, decision-making speed, and (gasp!) accountability.
Approach these curves with humor, curiosity, and an eye on the future.
How to Embrace It
To make the most of these exceptional team members, here are a few tips:
1. Prioritize. Review the top 4 things leaders need to let go of, and rank them in terms of resonance. Work with your coach to overcome the ones at the top of the list so they don’t hamper your (and your team members’) progress.
2. Get excited! Look at the list of benefits (innovation, communication, engagement, decision-making, accountability) and consider what each would look like at a “10.” Set an exciting vision for what the team will be capable of when they’re at a 10 in all areas.
3. Double down on your own development. Dedicate yourself to mastering the areas of direction-setting, capacity-building, hosting, and ensuring alignment. Pick one at a time, and reeeaaalllyyy hone that skill.
Leading leaders is very different than leading lemmings, and it requires change on both sides. Approaching the opportunity with eyes and arms wide open will reap benefits on both sides, too.