The Leadership Coach™

What Every Leader Wants (And Why Most Don’t Get It)

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by Paul Andrew in Leadership, The Leadership Coach™

Recently a coaching client asked me, “How can I get my team to be more proactive?”. Good question. If you asked just about any leader if they want their team to use more initiative and be on the front foot, they’d say “Yes”… but ask them how they can build the sort of team where being proactive is second nature and most leaders will fumble for an answer.

I believe it’s not just a matter of hiring people with a track record of taking action. Sure, some people seem to be initiators by nature but I’ve seen people like that shine in one company and wilt in another. Rather than focus here on finding proactive people let’s talk about how to create a proactive culture that shapes the people who work in it.

If you want proactive team members, give them a B.R.E.A.K.

Backing
Ask yourself the question, “If things didn’t turn out well when one of my team members used initiative, would I back them anyway?”. Say they responded to your call for cost cutting by ditching a popular project. Other team members are frustrated, and it was probably the wrong call, but they acted when you asked them to act. What now? This is a moment of truth. If you back them publicly (even if you bring a little correction privately) they’ll probably grow from the experience. If you don’t back them, the whole team learns that what you actually want is for people to not make mistakes.

Reward
I’m amazed how often I see a blatant contradiction between what a leader says he or she wants from the team and what they actually reward in those they lead. If you want proactivity then promote those that step up. Don’t reward playing it safe, perfectionism, procrastination or people-pleasing. What you reward and what you punish are potent reminders to those around you of what you really want. It also teaches people what you’re prepared to settle for.

Example
The expression “hypocrite” comes from Ancient Greece and was used to describe the actors in their plays who wore a mask. Wherever hypocrisy creates a gap between what we want from others and what we expect of ourselves the impact of our personal leadership is diminished. If you want others to seize opportunities and challenges with decisive action, then ask yourself the honest question “Am I myself a shining example of what I want?”. If your answer is anything less than a confident yes, then make no mistake- you have lowered the bar for everyone.

Authority
There’s nothing worse than being handed a task for which you have all the responsibility without the authority. Successful leaders deputise others. It’s not enough to simply give a person the title, the brief or marching orders. Are they empowered to act? To make all necessary decisions and changes? To carry out their mission without your constant feedback? To gain the buy-in of other team members because their mandate and authority is clear?

Knowledge
Lastly teams become proactive when they have clear knowledge and understanding of what you want, when, how and why. One of the surest ways to create indecisiveness is to withhold information. Without certainty about their goals, roles and boundaries most team members start to flounder. The more effort I make equip my people with the right knowledge, the more likely they are to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way.

So rather than challenge your team again to “be proactive”, maybe it’s time to take another look at the culture you’re creating.

I’d love to hear your comments and feedback

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Tags: Culture, Decision Making, Leadership Development, Leadership Training, Proactive, Team Building, The Leadership Coach™