Your brain, just like mine, defaults to energy save mode. It doesn’t want to work any harder than it has to. It knows that it uses more energy than any other part of your body. And, it craves sugar even though it knows that protein and some good fat would fuel it further. We all live with conflicted minds. Funny, huh.
Today, a cleint called me because his brain wanted to save some energy. Actually, he called me because one of his team members wanted to save some of hers. Instead of giving him the answer I asked him some questions and forced his brain to do it’s job. Once jolted, it did. His teammate is about to get the same.
If you want better thinking from those with whom you work, understand that their brains are not wired to naturally fight the tendecy toward energy save mode. You’ve got to help them learn to think for themselves. This will take more of your energy, until you learn to master this part of your craft. In the short run it uses less of your energy to simply be the “Shell answer man.” Kinda feels good too. This produces a team that queues up at the door of the positional leader and asks him or her to do their thinking.
Remember, nobody is as smart as everybody. Assuming that “everybody” is thinking.
Want a better team? Become a better leader and start to develop better questions that challenge your teammates to think. Remember, their natural tendency is to “toss” their thinking up the chain and hope that you catch it and run with it. Smart leaders toss it back…
BUILT TO LEAD 