Side Step Leadership

"I'm happy to do whatever you want me to do."

"Oh, I'm ready to jump in at anytime, just tell me what you need."

"I fully support this move, what would you like me to do?"  

Talk is Cheap
We've all heard these comments...often times from leaders in our organizations. Perhaps we've even said them ourselves. 

They appear to be well-intended expressions of support, right? Real team-players stepping up to help...right?

Not so fast.

Let's take a moment and think about the people in our companies that take action first versus offering to do "whatever." That feels different. 

Their impact is very different.

They make things happen. They not only connect with us on what needs to be done, but they actually take steps to get things done.

It's Always Action That Wins
Maybe I've become cynical? 

Maybe I've heard too many expressions of support to my face, only to learn that same 'support' is non-existent when it comes down to making decisions and taking a risk?

Or, maybe I have a new level of insight about people? 

They love being seen as helpful and popular, but are rarely strong enough to tackle big issues that involve risk.

Yes. I believe that is true.

How About You
Are you someone who not only offers support, but immediately jumps into the fire to get things done? Or, are you much more comfortable offering support all day long, and then heading home feeling good about yourself and your "support?"

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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"Not It!"

As a child my friends and I played "tag." It was a simple game where one person was "it" and the others ran around trying not to get tagged. If you were caught you were now "it." The game always started the same way, everyone involved shouted out "Not It!" so they could avoid the punishment of being the one.

The punishment of being the one.

Don't Say It
One of the things that frustrates me is the avoidance strategy many leaders use when it comes time to confront someone. Why is that so difficult? With so many employees watching our behavior, why would we of all groups be quick to figuratively (or literally) shout "Not It!"? What message does that send? It's not a good one my friends.

"If we didn't want to do the difficult work, we never should have accepted the responsibility of a leadership position in the first place. Only handling the easy stuff is a pathetic cop out."

Be The One

The greatest part of leadership roles, to me, is the opportunity to make things better. Whether it is something simple like adjusting an existing process (which isn't always so simple!) to pushing through major cultural changes, it is the leadership that has the authority to make it happen.

Yes, the input of the team around you is essential, but they can not authorize the change, the leaders have that privilege. When leaders step away from one of their primary responsibilities and avoid addressing the tough issues, the team around them loses respect and trust in that leader.

We need to be the one that others want to work for, not the one others run to fill out a transfer form to get away from.

How About You

When was the last time you said "Not It!"? Think hard about it. Was it back when you were seven years old; or, was it more recent than that...perhaps when that difficult issue came up and you stayed quiet on the sidelines? I wonder who else noticed?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic courtesy of researchrockstar

Duck and Run

Sometimes the world of work gets...well...complicated.  What was once a smooth operation suddenly isn't so smooth anymore.  The team that appeared to be on top of the many moving parts of daily corporate life aren't quite as sharp as they once were.  And the person at the top needs to do something about it.

Yes, I'm talking about us.

It's Not a Blame Thing
Far too often when the inevitable winds of change disrupt our work lives we start looking for a scapegoat.  Who can we blame to quickly deflect any responsibility from ourselves?  Well, that's not how it works.  It works by evaluating our own performance first, the decisions we've made (or not made), and putting together a plan to steer the ship back on course.  Just because the team, the policies, the strategies, and the flow of work once was smooth does not mean it will stay that way forever.  Nothing does.  It is imperative however that when we realize that the environment has truly changed, we must take action.

Avoidance is Not an Option

One of the "leadership" behaviors I've seen far too many times over the years in my HR practice is the avoidance approach taken by weak or inexperienced leaders.  Let's be honest, confronting issues or people is difficult.  But avoiding issues that must be addressed results in much more work, much more stress on everyone, and usually impacts the organization both operationally and financially.  Don't be "that leader" that doesn't step up when life gets difficult.  It gets difficult for everyone from time to time.  You and I are no different.

How About You

When have you faced a change to your world that required tough decisions to be made?  Did you make them in a timely manner; or, did you try the classic duck and run strategy that left everyone wondering where you were hiding during a crisis?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic courtesy of acda