10 Ways to Help Others Change Trajectory
The things you believe about yourself, your circumstances, and others determines your future.
The root of behavior is belief.
Three foundational beliefs of wise leaders:
#1. Past performance reflects future performance, apart from intervention.
People tend to stay the same.
Teammates who rose to past challenges tend to rise in the future. Timid teammates remain timid; bold continuing being bold.
Misplaced faith delays corrective action and prolongs disappointment. Until you can point to specific reasons things will change, expect things to remain the same.
When contemplating the future, ask yourself, “What specifically makes you believe things will be different?”
Hope that blinds leaders to poor performance prolongs poor performance.
#2. Past growth reflects future growth, apart from intervention.
Teammates who developed themselves in the past will continue developing. (The only development is self-development. Create opportunities and environments where people step into their own development.)
Stagnant team members tend to remain stagnant.
#3. Trajectory changes after intervention, not before.
The thing that changes people is other people.
Intervention is the only thing that changes someone’s trajectory.
Ten ways to help others change trajectory:
- Stop making excuses for people. Protecting people validates and congeals their past.
- Understand and align with people’s dreams and aspirations for themselves.
- Ignite desire by creating dissatisfaction. “What if you’re selling yourself short?”
- Invite people to do things with you.
- Confront negative patterns.
- Press for improvement.
- Offer new challenges.
- Involve others. People learn and grow in community.
- Ask, “How might you challenge yourself in new ways?”
- Provide a safety net.
What do successful leaders believe?
How might leaders how others change trajectory?
. “What if you’re selling yourself short?” love this question.. leaders recognize and bring forward potentials in others. In my leader-heart it’s Job 1 !
Thanks Ken. I’ve seen that simple question change people. Love the focus of your leader-heart. (And I love the expression leader-heart.)
Good stuff Dan, reading this reminded me of a word we don’t use all that often anymore. One of the definitions of the word ‘patron’ in Websters is “a person chosen, named, or honored as a special guardian, protector, or supporter.”
From my point of view, we are honored to be chosen by those we lead to be in a business relationship with them, and thus to provide them the best we have to offer. In that light we should think of ourselves as, and truly act as a special guardian and protector. We should seek only to lead them in ways that would truly be helpful for them, those that would lift them to a higher place and enhance their life. Someone honored to be chosen for such a role should never take that lightly, nor should they view it as a one-time thing for the short term. It’s a commitment for the long term.
Thanks Tim. One of the great honors of leadership is the situation you describe. One thing that I’ve been advocating for is leaders becoming proactive in choosing proteges. Don’t wait. Don’t expect someone to go to you. Go to them. Begin informally. Don’t create obligations. See if there is a useful connection. Let the relationship evolve. (Just thought I would add another approach.) Cheers
Love it, I agree
Appreciate these comments, they added new insight to discussion for me.. I like the “proactive in picking protege” thoughts..
Great post as always. Really like the list of ways to help others change trajectory. Important also that some sort of safety net is understood – as you note. But one thing I believe is missing: The team members must themselves be self-assessing their contributions or lack thereof as well. Presuming the leadership has enabled an environment that generates motivation (why else would leadership be trying to help change trajectory), it’s important that all team members seek to optimize their contribution!!!
I love how this post doesn’t only apply to those we lead, but also to ourselves. As I was reading this, I just kept thinking to myself, “I need to do this, too!” Hope to start applying some of these things to my personal development. Thanks!