We can pretend otherwise, but being a leader can be very ego-gratifying.
No judgement. It’s just something that naturally results from having the authority to tell people to stop whatever they’re busy working on and work, instead, on whatever YOU want them to work on…and then get to watch as they comply!
Just Because You CAN Doesn’t Mean You SHOULD
Be careful, though, about pushing that ‘because I want you to’ button too hard or too often. It can wear pretty thin, pretty quickly. And when it does, it dramatically increases the likelihood that when you REALLY need someone to comply…they won’t.
That’s why it’s important to remember that it’s good for a leader to NOT call the shots all the time.
That’s why encouraging staff to lead YOU, from time to time, can be a very strong leadership move.
Just Because it SOUNDS Odd Doesn’t Mean it IS
Yes, encouraging your staff to lead YOU may seem a bit obtuse, but it’s really not.
Consider an employee who has an idea for something that’s maybe only marginally interesting, to you, but that person is willing to put in the time and energy to try and bring it to fruition.
What’s your move?
Here’s a hint: It doesn’t really matter if you think the idea is any good or not. What matters is that they want to TRY.
Obviously you must both agree on the project’s scope, timing, funding, and non-monetary resource allocations, but once that’s in place, it’s the employee’s turn to take the lead.
Just Because it DOESN’T Work Doesn’t Mean it DIDN’T Work
Truth is, whether the initiative fails or succeeds, you win!
How? Because if the initiative fails, you get points for letting the person ‘give it a shot’ – and if it succeeds, your organization benefits from an improvement that you would probably would not have focused on. And, either way, you earn the employee’s respect and regard for letting him/her try – which is what we might call a win/win!
And you know what ELSE is nice about win/wins?
They typically provide a very nice ego-boost, alongside, too!