Five Tested Techniques for Achieving Results Through Others
The organization I lead just closed the books on a fresh initiative that reflects an important leadership principle; the less you do the more you get done.
I coached the lead person of this project for several months. His high performance reminds me of five dynamic principles that enable leaders to achieve results through others.
How to get things done through others?
Build relationships of trust with high-potential individuals. Leadership always begins with trust. Trust is not built on what others do for you; it’s built on what you do for others. Show respect for the values and skills of your team members; understand and appreciate them.
Find ways to connect the dreams and hopes of others to organizational mission and vision. The lead person of the latest initiative sees himself as a leader. This project stretched him and lifted him toward his vision for himself.
Appreciate the skills of others. The lead person on this project is a gifted organizer. He’s not the person to cast the vision but he masterfully gets all the ducks in the row.
Leverage new relationships. Over the last three years, I’ve shifted my focus from leading to developing leaders that lead without me. It’s the path of long-term growth and success for all organization.
Long-term team members are comfortable with standardized processes and procedures. They may, understandably, be lagging adopters. New people are more open to shifts in leadership philosophy. Go with passionate new people.
I’m not suggesting you neglect or ignore long-term relationships. They will, however, adjust more slowly. They have more invested in established patterns. Remain open, inclusive, respectful, and encouraging to lagging adopters.
Lastly, support and keep out of the way.
How do you get things done through others?
This is a great post Dan. I have also learned to change my leadership focus to developing others and my organization to operate with or without me. This is a profound shift especially in churches and non-profit organizations. I constantly appreciate your wisdom and your writings!
Pastor Tom
Tom,
The shift you describe is, in my opinion, the most profound and powerful shift a leader can make.
You have my respect and best regards,
Dan
Dear Dan,
I agree that trust is the core of leadership. Nothing works without it for longer time. Higher the trust, higher the people engagement and vice versa. In the organisation, people should know the vision with strategy to achieve that. This is the first step to get things doen through others. Secondly, they leaders should connect those vision with people. They should feel it, see it and enjoy it. Enjoyment comes when they see their advancement by achieving goals. It means, vision should closely connected with employee needs.
So, to get things through others, the need is to connect people emotionally to vision, help them to realise their strengths, inculcate confidence into them, interact with them frequently and appreciate them where they feel overwhelmed from time to time. Empowerment and delegation are all about emotional encouragement and feeling better than before. They should own the vision, then only successful work can be done.
Dear Ajay,
You laid down a ton of great material to the conversation. thank you.
Leaders may have a tendency to belittle the emotional connection you mention but I think you nailed it.
Best Regards,
Dan
Ajay is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read his bio at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/ajay-gupta
I like it, acknowledhe others skills and effort is a great recognition that will retain and motivate your high-potential individual.
Micael, Thanks for taking time to join the conversation. Best to you, Dan
I’m very interested in the art of delegation and haven’t been able to find much written on the subject that is useful. Thanks for this. –I’m puzzled by the references to the leader as “he” in every case–is this intended to be inclusive of leaders without regard to gender?
Hi Pearl,
Thanks for pointing out the gender specific language I used.
Best regards,
Dan
I’m new to your posts. They’re excellent. I’m glad I found you on Twitter.
Thanks for sharing.
Mia M.
Mia,
Thanks for the encouragement.
Best to you,
Dan
I’m new to your posts. They’re excellent.
Thanks for sharing.
Mia M.
Hey Dan
Great post and Ajay’s comments are right on!!!
If the leader is a true leader they have to have the passion and show the emotion of vision. Regardless of the fact you up to your neck in water and about to drown a true leader will rise above it and always show the passion/emotion in a positive manner. As Ajay put it, the leader owns the vision by not be passionate about it!!
Hi Dan, Thanks for another thoughtful post. I’m a little uncomfortable with your suggestion to “Go with passionate new people.” It seems to me there is an entire layer of passionate people ready for change who, for various reasons (old boys club for one) can’t manage to level up. I fear that skipping over that layer alienates more people than one might imagine.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your comment. You have great insight and I think you are right. Hopefully leveraging new people isn’t an either or situation. In my role, I first reach out to established volunteers/leaders, who, when it comes to new initiatives may be lagging adopters for reasons already mentioned. It’s not unusual for them to choose not to participate. It’s at that point I go with passionate new people. It’s still not easy and can create stress and or alienation.
Love your insights and participation in this conversation.
Best,
Dan
Great post! Loved how you have put your points across without unnecessarily complicating things.
I think employee engagement is very important for getting work done. You need to show that you value and respect each and every contribution. Such an attitude will surely help in getting work done. Create an environment that gives, and you’ll get back so much more in return.
On a parallel note, I read ‘Why leaders can’t ignore the pride principle’ by Terry Starbucker (http://www.terrystarbucker.com/2011/05/11/why-leaders-cant-ignore-the-pride-principle/). I thought it might be a relevant read.
– Sindoora (http://www.beyondhorizons.in)