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And How to get out of them!
Leadership is not just about influence but about making an impact in the lives of others. How can you do this if you are overwhelmed, exhausted, and leading a team that seems stagnant?
It does not have to be this way. Imagine navigating your work life with less effort yet making an even more significant difference than you do now.
To do this, your team would need to operate more autonomously, allowing you to focus on the big picture rather than minor details. You would need to move out of the sea of tasks and into a space where you can more clearly create and see the vision you are aiming for.
This could be your reality if you embrace the practice of developing leaders. It's more than just a management strategy—it's a key to unlocking your team's full potential, overcoming persistent work challenges, and connecting to work that truly matters.
In his book, The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier discusses three vicious circles that plague our workplaces:
Cycle #1: Creating Overdependence
Are you feeling bogged down by an overly dependent team? This might be because they've become excessively reliant on you, resulting in their disempowerment and your growing frustration. The unfortunate side effect is that you've unwittingly become a system bottleneck, causing a stall in everyone's progress and a decrease in motivation. As Andy Stanley insightfully noted, "Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing helpful to say." To avoid overdependence, you must be a leader who gives room for other ideas to shine. By actively developing leaders within your team, you can promote autonomy and mastery, reducing the need to intervene constantly and ensuring a smooth workflow.
Cycle #2: Getting Overwhelmed
Are you constantly overwhelmed by the magnitude of your work, despite mastering every productivity hack? Are you pulled apart by too many priorities, incessant emails, and back-to-back meetings? According to a scholarly journal on leadership development, "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." Exhaustion is not the sign of a dedicated leader. It just means you're bad at scheduling and perhaps prioritizing. By fostering a culture of leadership development, you can regain your focus by empowering others. The problem is that it takes time upfront, but the investment pays off. This approach also leads to a more efficient use of time, energy, and resources, enabling you to tackle significant challenges effectively.
Cycle #3: Becoming Disconnected
If you feel disconnected from meaningful work, you're not alone. In the wise words of Simon Sinek, "Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion." You need to guide people to engage more in work that is not just task-completion but also impactful and meaningful. This may be as simple as helping people see the vision behind a project. It's never a bad idea to remind people of the why for the what. The more purposeless the work, the less engaged and motivated we become. By nurturing future leaders, you can help your team reconnect with work that is not only impactful but also meaningful.
In summary, if you're grappling with Overdependence (the Bind), Overwhelm (the Grind), and Disconnection (the Resigned), fostering leadership development is your breakthrough strategy. It offers a better, more effective way of working. Embrace it, and transform your work life for the better.
For Your Consideration
What are you doing to develop leaders on your team?What step can you take today to improve the leadership development of your team?
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