What No One Tells You About Leadership And I Wish To Know A Decade Earlier
You know how to play kites, don’t you?
If you want to win, decide when you must strengthen or loosen the string. You must learn when is the time to attack or turn around too.
That was clear advice from one of my most outstanding mentors when I asked him how to communicate with my team members without micromanaging effectively.
Today is not my first time leading a team with more than 20 people. Since my university day, my team has already trusted me to teach more people in laboratories as course tutors. Then, in my previous job I was also teaching a lot of people in the production department. However, it felt tougher this time.
- Heterogenous team members, in my current job, I have a lot of exciting and extraordinary people. Most of my direct subordinates are right-brained, while our job mostly related to data, stock accuracy, and other repetitive works in the manufacturing process.
- Exponential growth targets push us very hard. We have no time to regret our mistake. Anytime we make one, learn from it and make improvements.
- We are starting up a brand new system, and I am proudly claiming that our business process is unique. We are combining agriculture with high technology manufacturing process.
In a year, I have been learned a lot from both of my superiors, peers, and subordinates. Along the way, there are few notes in leadership that I am sure will be very beneficial if I knew a decade earlier.
Giving Detailed Explanation for Solving Problems is a Non-Beneficial Act in Long Term.
The leader should know better than his team. Naturally, he must look deeper in analyzing the problem and finding the root cause so that the team will not mislead in taking action.
I am holding that value too. When facing any problem, as a leader, I am taking the extra mile for deeper analysis. Then, planning a countermeasure action and flooring for my team. In some cases, I often try the procedures or methods that I made before letting my subordinates doing it.
As a leader, do you think the same?
Trust me that is not good at all. It is okay for really challenging conditions. What if the problems occurring more frequently? As a leader, you will be worn out easily. And more than that, you are mean to your subordinates. Your subordinates will not learn to level up.
Far better to share the problem rather than giving a detailed problem-solving way for your team. You can give them your help if they need it. In this case, they will learn and grow faster. And you will also have more excess energy to solve higher stage problems. In the long term, both you and your organization will be developing well.
Setting Up The Goal without Any Guidance will Crumble Team’s Direction.
Whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you stronger — Batman
Do you trust that phrase?
If yes, then we were in the same boat. I have trusted and implemented it in the wrong direction. I often set a goal for my team without concerning my subordinate's background, skill, and experience in the expectation that my team will grow stronger.
Of course, they will be stronger if they could overcome it. How if the opposite condition happens? Well, that was what happened to a team that I ever managed.
I did not give any guidance, just a goal.
Right after failing, what my team did was blaming me. And of course, it was fading our each other’s trust away.
As a leader, I am sure that his team's guidance to achieve the goal is mandatory. However, considering how much that guidance is given is also included. Again, providing a detailed explanation for solving problems is a non-beneficial act in the long term.
Lining Up Clear Gap Between Supervisors and Subordinates will Hinder Effective Communication.
It is essential to know where we are standing, especially as professionals. I aware of it and implement it by lining up the gap with my subordinates, especially with factory workers.
In my opinion, with the gap made, it will be easier for me to act professionally. I would not worry that my feelings towards each of them could interrupt my decision, especially if I have to make undesirable decisions, e.g., advancement, demotion, and workers’ layoff.
Well, that is enough if I aim to be the boss, not a leader.
There are tons of article which mention the difference between boss and leader. But what I want to highlight here is, the boss is only giving an order, while the leader listens more to the team. There is good communication between them.
I was losing my opportunity to become a good leader at that time. Fortunately, a lot of people around me have good eyes and do care about me. I received a lot of advice to be wiser in building relationships with my team. I wrote one of the most remarkable events in this article:
One day, I have also asked for a piece of advice from my great mentor, who is a Director in my office, about this case. I asked how to be close to all my team members (including the workers with 2 or 3 levels under me) without micromanaging. And the first sentence in this article was his advice.
You know how to play kites, don’t you?
If you want to win, decide when you must strengthen or loosen the string. You must learn when is the time to attack or turn around too.
As a good leader, I need to conduct a good environment where everyone enjoys their work and develops on the right path. To do it, good communication is essential.
