In leadership, we learn that we need to recruit and grow people, then let them go. In theory, that should work, right? And it usually does, for a while. It works as long as the new leader stays motivated. Aren't all leaders self-motivated? You wish. There is initial excitement as they spread their wings and start to fly. Then rocks start getting thrown at them - confusion, disappointment, isolation, anger, fear, embarassment, CHANGE. All these things start coming at them to take them off course. Often, they don't reach out - they don't want to disappoint, or they're embarassed that they are not meeting expectations. They may even avoid you when they need you the most. So now you get to decide what kind of leader you want to be. Will you wait, and assume that "they're fine" because they haven't reached out to you? Or do you continue to offer your support, train them to keep them on track, and recognize their efforts to keep them excited? Do you just throw them out of the nest and hope they get their wings? Or do you stay along side them to help them soar with you? A wingman makes your flight easier, too.
I am a rule follower. I like rules. I think rules help to avoid a lot of problems. They provide clear expectations for appropriate behavior. They bring a certain civility to life. That being said, I think I'm a dying breed. Almost every day I see people breaking traffic laws (texting, running red lights, causing grid lock, speeding through school zones). These things are illegal and downright dangerous. And don't even get me started about how awful people are when dropping off and picking up at school. I have recently had conversation with a couple people who are dealing with bad employee behavior. The employees do not like some changes that have occured within their respective companies. (On a side note- companies often have to change due to economic or industry factors just to keep their doors open.) Instead of adjusting to the changes or forming a plan to make the changes work in their favor, they have chosen behaviors that are unethical and damaging...
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