We’re not alone at the Phoenician this trip to the desert. Practically every room is taken up by one company – Stryker Medical. I know nothing about them but they must be selling drugs, or something related, to have the kinda jack it takes to take up all these rooms. So, I’ve been playing a little game at breakfast this week to see if I can spot the leader at the tables surrounding me. Here’s the melody line of my learning. This game was fun for awhile but it’s now lost my interest- it’s too easy. The Stryker leader stands out. Is this a compliment?
Hardly.
You see, the Stryker leader is easy to spot because when he speaks (most of the time, btw) the rest of his teammates sit in wonder. They aren’t leaning forward with the next challenging or even curious question, they’re leaning back as if they’ve heard this rhetoric before and there is no point to voicing what they’re thinking. No point. I have forgotten what a funny place is the corporate world of work. Leaders are taught to dominate the airwaves, broadcast their visions, tell teammates what to think, and leave it to them to figure out how to make their work more, well, meaningful. The leader is taught to motivate with his/her singularly crafted vision and just keep broadcasting it as if it was authored by MLK Jr himself.
Real leaders are not so easy to spot when surrounded by their talented teammates. The leader tends to blend in when crowded ’round those they love, value, and believe in well beyond the norm. The leader asks the best questions which promotes the best thinking. The leader shares vision and demands we author our own. The leader listens and writes like a banchee. And, when this leader speaks, her teammates tune in to gain clarity through curiosity and are on the edge of their seat, ready, willing, and able to challenge too. These kinda teams are the ones you want. They take time to build and don’t come with any quick silver bullets to strengthen your short term multiple on Wall Street. These teams are, well, striking when you see them for the first time especially.
I recall a recent practice where a potential client came to observe one of our BTL team practices with a team of 20. After participating in the practice for 90 minutes the most striking comment he made to me was quite telling. “I couldn’t find the leader. I kept looking but I couldn’t figure out which one of the 20 he was, there were so many that looked and acted like the head of the system.” Striking, huh.
How easy is it to pick out the head of your system, friend?
BUILT TO LEAD 