A great golfer. Bowler. Tennis player. Boxer. These athletes stand out because of their ability to carry almost all of the load on the road to success. They certainly have others who support them, prepare them, and coach them, but their success comes down to their personal ability to compete on their own. An effective leader understands that their success will not happen in a vacuum and they must effectively work with a team. Leadership is definitely a team sport.
The best of leaders tend to do these things well because of the team aspect related to their effectiveness:
- They are good at recruiting people to serve on their team. Perhaps you have heard of Kirby Smart? Nick Saban? They are great coaches with a track record of success. While they know the “X’s” and “O’s” of football, their success is largely connected to their ability to recruit talent. For the effective leader, recruitment involves seeking out both those who are talented and those who have potential. The life of Jesus is a great example of the latter in that he enlisted men for their potential and poured his life into them. The result: They changed the world.
- They are purposeful in delegating. Delegation accomplishes these two things at the very least. First, it frees the leader up to focus on those tasks that make the most difference. Second, it allows those who have been enlisted to grow in their experience. Delegation is a necessity and it is also a skill. Learn when and what to delegate and you will be able to move your mission forward.
- They coach those they have enlisted. I will refer you to last week’s article [Click Here] to reinforce the point. Once you delegate you must train (if necessary) and evaluate. Set your team members up for success, not failure, by giving them clear instructions, and the tools or training needed to accomplish the task(s) that are delegated. If you can do this you will maximize your leadership!
Portions adapted from Chapter 4 of What to Ask the Person in the Mirror. by Robert S. Kaplan