By way of reminder…
Guardrails serve a purpose. They are built to keep the car on the road when the driver has made a mistake. They are supposed to be helpful, even though, an unintended consequence of them being present is that often times they lull the driver into complacency. Funny, huh.
As a leader you are in your position to point the way forward, guard the team from making catastrophic mistakes, give them the confidence to push it to the edge, encourage them to try something for the first time, challenge them to try it again, demand more than they think they can give, give more than you demand, and all the while build them into a strong individual, a unified team, and a master of their craft. This is a big job when it feels like you are fighting for survival.
This can be done. It requires deep thinking, experiments, and new productive actions. This will not be easy…
Too many leaders are trying to act as guardrails that are ten feet high and made of solid concrete. The team isn’t going over the cliff. The leader has made that quite impossible. The problem is, however, that the team lacks perspective. All they see is the tunnel of their job. They are being asked to floor it and go faster. Just keep making right turns as fast as possible. Instead of making progress and seeing the fruit of their improvement, this team just sees what they’ve always seen. The endless tunnel of their job and their leader “guarding” them along the way.
Generate a clear and compelling vision. Guard your team from catastrophe. AND, let them experiment and make plenty of mistakes. Inspire them to push to the edge of their capacity. Widen their perspective so they understand how they fit into the whole. Transform them and their team mates into ONE. AND, accomplish all of this without them even noticing that you were there. Become an invisible guardrail of sorts.
Do you see it?
BUILT TO LEAD 