Leadership Evolution Starts with These Three Steps
Leadership Evolution Starts with These Three Steps
Unlock Your Team's Potential with Three Essential Actions for the Modern Leader
In the fast-paced world of leadership, it's easy to fall into habits that may be holding you and your team back. Today, we're cutting through the noise and giving you three powerful actions you can start implementing right now to elevate your leadership game.
1. Embrace Diversity in All Its Forms
In many organizations, there's an unconscious tendency to hire people who look, think, and act like existing team members. This "Silicon Valley bro culture" or any homogeneous team culture can lead to stagnation and groupthink. True innovation often comes from the collision of different perspectives and experiences.
Consider this: Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone agreed too quickly? Or faced a problem your team couldn't solve because you were all approaching it the same way? These are signs that your team might lack diversity of thought and experience.
It's time to stop hiring drones and start building a team that's as diverse as the challenges you face. This isn't just about meeting quotas; it's about creating a powerhouse of innovation and problem-solving. Diversity here means more than just racial or gender diversity – it includes diversity of experience, education, industry background, age, and cognitive styles.
Action Step: In your next hiring round, intentionally seek candidates from different backgrounds, industries, and experience levels. Look beyond the usual suspects and challenge your own biases. For example, if you're hiring for a tech role, don't automatically disqualify the candidate with a literature degree – their unique perspective might be exactly what your team needs. Remember, the best teams are often the most diverse ones.
2. Empower Your Team with Knowledge
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "My team can't handle this information," or "They don't need to know about this decision"? This protective instinct, while well-intentioned, can actually hinder your team's growth and effectiveness.
When leaders withhold information or shield their teams from complex issues, they're not protecting them – they're limiting them. This approach can lead to a lack of context in decision-making, reduced buy-in for organizational changes, and missed opportunities for innovative solutions from unexpected sources.
Stop playing the "they can't handle it" card. If your team doesn't understand something, it's on you as a leader to bridge that gap. Your job isn't to protect them from complexity, but to equip them to navigate it.
Action Step: Identify one complex issue or decision your team is currently grappling with. Instead of shielding them from the details, schedule a deep-dive session. Break down the issue, share your thought process, and invite their input. For instance, if you're considering a major strategy shift, don't just announce the decision – walk them through the market analysis, the potential risks and benefits, and the reasoning behind the change. You might be surprised at the insights they bring to the table when given the chance.
3. Focus on Value, Not Just Predictability
In today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, the illusion of predictability can be more harmful than helpful. Many leaders still cling to detailed long-term plans and Gantt charts, trying to map out every step of a project or strategy. But this approach can lead to rigidity, missed opportunities, and a focus on following the plan rather than delivering value.
Think about the last time a meticulously planned project went exactly as planned. Rare, isn't it? Now think about a time when your team was able to pivot quickly and deliver something valuable, even if it wasn't what was originally envisioned. Which scenario created more value for your organization and customers?
In a world of constant change, obsessing over detailed long-term plans can be a recipe for stagnation. It's time to get comfortable with ambiguity and focus on delivering real value.
Action Step: For your next project, resist the urge to create an exhaustive plan. Instead, set clear objectives and milestones, but leave room for flexibility in how you get there. Encourage your team to adapt and innovate as they go, focusing on delivering tangible value at each step rather than rigidly sticking to a predetermined path. For example, instead of planning out every feature of a new product upfront, define the core problem you're solving and allow your team to iterate and adjust based on ongoing feedback and changing circumstances.
By implementing these actions, you're not just changing your leadership style; you're setting the stage for a more dynamic, inclusive, and effective team. Remember, great leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about creating an environment where the best answers can emerge from anywhere in your team.
To modernizing your leadership,
Josh Anderson
Editor-In-Chief
The Leadership Lighthouse
Want to dive deeper into transformative leadership practices? Check out our recent podcast episode where we unpack these ideas and more. From challenging ageism to rethinking remote work management, we cover a range of topics that will make you rethink your approach to leadership.
What leadership habits are you looking to change? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Let's learn from each other and build stronger, more effective teams together!