Who’s the Boss?

A Question That Should Stay on our TVs and Out of the Office

The Philosopher Socrates once said, “The Only Thing I Know For Sure Is That I Know Nothing At All, For Sure.” Working in a leadership position can often come with feeling the need to be sure about everything. Always being overly confident can be easy to read through by your peers and team, and it limits the creative space for new ideas.  As a leader, we can’t underestimate the power of saying “I don’t know.” 

That said, it comes with the territory to be the all-knowing authoritative figure rather than delegating the authority to your team. 

What it comes back to is that you built your team the way it is for a reason. You hired each of them strategically based on their experience, expertise, passion, and judgement. This means that, most likely, your team knows what they are doing; what they need from you is to empower them to do exceptional work.

The best way to empower your team is by tapping into their insights and expertise, mentoring them to build their confidence, and inspiring them to achieve their version of success. Keeping in mind some tactics to your leadership approach, you can become the strong leader that guides your team to success for themselves and the organization. 

Make the time for it

Consider how much of your performance depends on the performance of your team.  Wouldn’t it make sense to prioritize your time and dedicate most of your time to where it matters the most? Most leaders want to be more present with their teams, but many don’t shave off the necessary time for it. This is the top complaint I hear when facilitating team discussions. The challenge lies with your ability to prioritize time and focus on what truly matters.

Nose-In-Hands-Out

This governance concept essentially means good governors should ask targeted and meaningful questions but never be hands-on with operational matters. This translates exceptionally well to the context of mentoring and developing teams. Leaders bring significant experience and expertise in their subject matter. It can be tempting to give teams the answer or even doing some tasks for them. Although you may be removing roadblocks, you are also delaying the learning process for your team. A better approach is to ask good questions such as:

• “That’s a great idea; what other options are on the table?”

• “What are the implications of this plan?  From a political, financial, change management perspective?”

• “Why is this a good idea?  What evidence/supporting rationale do we have?”

Clear is Kind

This popular quote from Brene Brown is especially relevant in the context of mentoring and developing teams. It is unfair to your team to deliver work when the expected outcomes are not clear. Not stating clear expectations is akin to having your team think they are in a 5k race when you are expecting a marathon. Ludicrous, right?  Have you communicated to your team what the expected output is? What is the deadline?  More importantly, have you clearly defined what constitutes good work? Only once you have clearly laid out the expectations can you support your team towards the same goal.  

Hold Them Accountable

When your team is stretched thin, it can be easy for their professional development goals to fall by the wayside. As much as the inundation of deliverables can seem like a top priority, your team not focusing on their development goals will ultimately slow down their pace of growth and performance. Your role is to discuss with your team their goals then hold them accountable to those goals. In many cases, professional goals are weaved into day-to-day work, but even if certain items need to be taken off their plate to achieve their goals, it will pay off in the end with new skills and increased potential being shared within your team. 

Build Your A-Team

You also should have a strategy to build up your A-Team. The 92 Dream Team had complementary skills and expertise; so should your team. When it comes down to developing your team, play to the people’s strengths and make sure to utilize every person’s strengths in a way that complements one another. 

Times have changed. In 1984, we were answering the question of ‘Who’s the Boss”. Today, we know that being just a boss is not optimal to lead a team to success. Instead, we want to remove the hierarchy of power and put the aspirations of your team first. By doing this, you’re nurturing the team to grow and make their goals a reality. 

For more information on how to develop your team as a leader, send an email tony.yu@sensenous.ca.