With great power comes great responsibility.
The more power you acquire- the more responsibility you inherit.
And as responsibility goes up, so does your need to control…right?
WRONG.
Highest and best efficiency comes through the spontaneous cooperation of team members who are as free as possible to make their own choices and decisions.
Spontaneous means- “occurring without apparent external cause.”
Free means- “being able to do what you want to do.”
Melding these attributes with quality leadership is how you get to where team members are doing right things in the right way because they want to- even when no one is watching.
As a LEADER, you promote “highest and best efficiency” by:
1. Providing vision and sense of purpose
2. Being present, visible, and consistent
3. Creating and communicating “right things”
4. Role modeling and reinforcing the “right way”
5. Letting go
Purpose and Autonomy- you’ve heard this before.
This is what it looks like.
BTW- you also need to provide LOTS of regular feedback (especially with younger team members). Most of it will be positive.
Granting Autonomy, allowing team members to empower themselves, is a CHOICE.
And [in the beginning] it takes…GUTS (aka COURAGE).
HOWEVER, when positive spontaneity “tips”- and it will when you do it right- that’s when the ‘magic’ happens.
Your job shifts from ‘fighting fires’ and dealing with ‘problems’ to keeping up with the positive momentum generated by the people who report to you.
I can tell you from personal experience- it’s a blast.
And the thing is- it’s not ‘magic’ at all.
Once you’ve set the vision and infected your team with purpose, the way to truly lead is to let go of the leash.
Until next time my friend, be well and stay safe.
Tim Autrey
Founder/CEO- PPI
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