Today, a client and I had a productive fight. He fights my coaching more than any human I’ve ever worked with. He makes me earn every inch as I try to move him along the route to becoming BTL. He knows the aim is to help him and he still has a hard time hearing other people’s ideas, especially mine and those he perceives have power over him. He’s quite normal.
So, for those reading this rant who see themselves in a position of leadership, remember most of your teammates are a lot like my client – they’re just not as transparent. The best leaders understand that their teammates respond best to their own ideas. So, effective teachers, coaches, and leaders use curious/challenging questions and very little commentary to get their team to think whatever “it” is – it was their idea.
Your teammates listen to their own ideas. You getting this? Go make your team think. Be curious and challenging. Who knows, they just might have a few ideas of their own. Funny, huh…
