From time to time, clients come to me finding it hard to make enough time. Sometimes they’re exhausted; sometimes they are frustrated, and often they find themselves just having too much to do.
One of the big challenges for leaders is that they feel they need to be the best in all their people’s roles. They don’t want to expose themselves to not knowing the answers, and they take on more than they need to. The demand they place on themselves gets in the way of progressing their proper leadership role of succeeding through people. Their priorities seem important and urgent, yet they have let too much become urgent, restraining their progress in their true role.
When leaders take on too many activities that their people should be doing, they struggle. And with a little focused attention, they don’t need to.
Whilst it’s natural for a leader to want to seem the smartest person on the team, one simple step they can take is to stop finding solutions. Letting go of this temptation can challenge a leader’s ego, where they feel the need to be regarded as the person who knows all the answers. The downside of this is that they end up taking on more work than they need to, taking away from the people they lead development and growth opportunities.
This leaves the people that they lead demotivated, unfulfilled, undervalued and indeed without enough challenge to keep them excited and engaged in the work they do. The consequence is that they are more likely to take time off sick; become less and less engaged with the organisation, and ultimately look around for greener pastures where there is greater challenge and fulfilment.
There is a solution which sounds easy enough and requires but a little discipline and practice.
The simple step leaders need to take is triggered when a team member comes to them with a problem, a task or an issue. Rather than reacting to solution-funding (answers) mode, asking questions to draw out of the individual their thoughts on solutions and ideas is a much better response. (Note, response, rather than react – another article!).
Questions like: –
What do you think?
What ideas do you have?
What’s the first step here?
Tell me your thoughts on this
What will you do?
This makes the individual feel valued, engaged, challenged, and also stimulates the creativity they have within them, rather than when the leader finds the answers.
When a leader asks questions, authentically curious about what the individual has in mind, they start down the path of unleashing an individual’s potential. This is much more valuable both to the leader and the individual, as well as the organisation as a whole, for the developing skills and growth of more of their people.
Then, after the questions, let them explore their answers. Let them try out their own ideas – with support, where they need it. Give them the freedom to explore.
And one of the biggest wins of all for leaders?
They have more time.
They spend less time on other peoples’ tasks, and more on the leadership role activities which up to now, they have found difficult to fit in.
For a leader, letting go of the need to be the expert solution finder can be challenging. I often encourage my clients to take it step-by-step, perhaps just try it once or twice a week to deliberately ask questions – rather than find answers – and see what happens. This can be accelerated over a few weeks and months to become a habitual way of leading.
The longer-term outcome is a highly developed team of individuals, who are resourceful, resilient, creative and capable, with a leader who is seen to be someone who facilitates growth, because they have the time.
Much more effective than one who is overstretched trying to do the work of people who do not need them to. Avoiding too, the consequent frustration, anger, intolerance, criticism and anger that can follow, where individuals fail to feel valued and challenged.
It’s as simple as asking more questions, and giving fewer answers.
