Leaders - of any sort, at any level - whether leading a team of two or two thousand, let's challenge ourselves, with a few simple questions.
If the balloon goes up, and a crisis ensues - how confident are you that the team around you will not only stand up to the mark but deliver, sort the problem, learn from it and make you and your brand proud?
Are you thinking about this? Can you answer this NOW? The crisis is here, the requirement is now - not in ten minutes or tomorrow - have you got the team or not?
So, I hear you...there are some that can, (sort of) and there are those that well...
Next question - whose fault is that?
Are you the leader here? Are you in charge of these people? Are you then accountable for their efforts? - yeah, but I inherited them, they haven't come up to the promise, they are not here for that really.
Bull
Are they trained - really? Or did you make the promise that they would, but it never got delivered?
You are hanging over a cliff, hanging on by your finger tips - how many of them are going to rush over and pull you back over - how many are going to stamp on your fingers?
Old adage - YOU are only as good as your team- if the team is not behind you, if the team do not have the capability - Is that a crash and a splash I hear?
Look, I am sure you are good, very good - all of these symptoms are everywhere, but few are actually doing anything properly constructive to each and every individual that is not some form of corporate baloney that is not believable or ever fully implemented.
But how?, when? - I'm busy, under pressure - give me a break. Are you the right person to be the leader?
There are methods, tricks to overcome this. Relationships are paramount, support and communication so necessary - think of your own role, your own bosses whether now or in the past. What was good, what was bad? Are you guilty of the same? Believe me it is so the little things that make all the difference - the first little thing is to simply stop and think about it.
Sit and be honest with yourself. Create a matrix of all of the team and work on a heat map to see where they fit in terms of their value and abilities in their roles. Identify the soldiers, those that will go into battle and make them stronger, but more importantly identify those who are not there today and work on a plan to move them into that place - or move them out. You will be more respected as a leader, people need to know where they stand.
GHI can of course help if only to point out the obvious - the blog here is actually more of a rant as there are so many organisations where these questions are ignored, where the person responsible is not held to account and offices and projects all over the country are full of miserable, stressed people who have not been given the chance.
Clarity, communication, purpose, role, direction
Make a difference, today.