Photo by Tristan Colangelo on Unsplash
Michelle had a reputation for doing whatever it took to get the job done. She was ‘always on’, running from back to back meetings during the day and answering emails late at night. Her reward for producing outstanding results was a promotion into a leadership role. But that had only made her busier. She found herself saying it was hard to get good people and that if a quick answer was required, it was often easier to do it herself.
Her health started to suffer. She was on the edge of burning out if she continued at this pace. She had a game-changing agenda and knew that she could not achieve it on her own. She needed to cause game-changing results through others. She realised that the key to her success was to develop great leaders around her. She shifted her mindset from player to coach.
To support her new resolution, she changed some of her well entrenched practices. When a problem landed on her plate, instead of solving it herself, she asked who was the best person to address it and how that issue could provide them with a leadership opportunity. She said no to unnecessary meetings and gave others the authority to attend on her behalf and take decisions. She asked for recommendations when her team came to her with problems. She challenged them to take on stretch objectives. Her mindset shift from player to coach focused her on developing great leaders.
As it turns out, Michelle’s team of mostly millennials got what they were after. A recent Deloitte global survey suggests that two-thirds of millennials intend to leave their organisation by 2020 because their “leadership skills are not being fully developed.” It seems that their lack of loyalty may be more a sign of neglect than other factors. It may be no different for the remainder of the workforce. According to Gallup research, investing in and focusing on employees’ talents boosts employee and customer engagement.
How could you shift from player to coach and develop great leaders around you?
Best regards, Brian
PS: Want to take your leadership to a new level in 2018? Contact us for a free 30 minute leadership diagnostic.