People are not a problem to be solved, but a relationship to develop. I’ve been learning a lot about leadership and team coaching lately. My eyes have been opened to the subtle nuances of working with people. I’ve come to the obvious conclusion that a) people are weird and b) people are extremely complex. As a new leader, I’ve focused my efforts on navigating projects, getting things done and removing obstacles. This is great but it totally neglects the people growth dynamic. #fail Things get done via people. If the people ain’t happy , ain’t nobody happy. So why do we forget this?
- Old habits are hard to break. You were a great individual contributor and you’ve been promoted to leader. You continue doing what you’ve always done.
- It takes effort. You have to be intentional about spending time with people, getting to know them and finding out what motivates them. As a new leader, this feels unproductive. We have to shift our mindset about what it means to be successful. It’s our job to help others succeed in their role. When they succeed, then we do too.
Make time for your people. Find out what motivates them. Help them succeed. Get out of the way.