7 Ways to Take Responsibility for Team Success
The simplest definition of ‘leader’ is someone with followers. But how can you be worthy of being followed?
“Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do.” Frances Hesselbein
“Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself.” Warren Bennis
The person worthy of followers is:
- Learner more than knower. What can you learn today?
- Listener more than talker. How might you talk less and listen more?
- Lover more than hater. What do your really want?
- Truster more than skeptic. Where can you show confidence in others?
- Connector more than recluse. How might you strengthen relationships today?
- Liberator more than controller. How might you eliminate hindrances to performance?
- Enabler more than roadblock. How might others feel more powerful?
The greatest responsibility of servant leaders:
You might say, “Dan, I want to be a successful leader.”
My question is, “What accountabilities are you willing to assume?”
The greatest responsibility of leadership is the success of others. When others succeed in ways that serve organizational interest, you succeed.
Take 100% responsibility for the success of the team.
- Eliminate deadbeats.
- Bring up tough issues.
- Expect results.
- Train when people don’t know.
- Coach when people have aspiration and potential.
- Correct when people go wrong.
- Cheer when people succeed.
4 steps on the path of successful leadership:
Lousy leaders are consumed with the performance of others and neglect their own development.
- Begin each day with leadership intentions. Choose how you show up.
- End each day with quiet reflection.
- How did you intend to show up?
- What did you learn?
- Where might you improve tomorrow?
- How did you accomplish what you intended to accomplish?
- What would you do differently?
- What worked well?
- Take a course. Read a book. Subscribe to Leadership Freak.
- Get a mentor. Hire a coach.
Which of the above ideas seem most relevant or important to you?
What might you add?
Dear Dan,
Fantastic article! Just can’t express in words.
Reflections on the path of successful leadership are just amazing..!
Thanks Piyush. Have a great week.
Dan,
“Listener more than a talker” hits home for me because so many times speakers are interrupted before they get to their point. If we are listening totally, we shouldn’t need to talk, perhaps to clarify gray areas if it is a lengthy presentation subject to interpretations.
Another fine point is “addressing tough issues”, this is the proper way to conduct business, if you don’t handle them, they can destroy you.
As usual all your points are spot on!
Thanks Tim. Listen is the lost art of leadership. We’re too anxious to talk and too slow to listen. Maybe we need to teach people to speak for shorter lengths of time. 🙂
Have a great week my friend.
Dan,
Perhaps if we knew it all we wouldn’t need to talk? :-), Lets start with “Pay attention”!
Clarifies more than controls.
Leaders clarify and make sense out of the current situation. They also clarify what’s possible and what’s doable.
Servant leaders do three things:
1. Ask questions—that help people clarify their goals
and fine-tune their plan.
2. Remove barriers—which eliminates fears, obstacles,
and self-limiting beliefs that can hold people back.
3. Provide resources—such as information, tools, time,
budget, etc. in order to help people grow and develop.
They strive to foster an environment where employees
are freed up and given the resources they need to do their best work.
Hey Paul. Great insight. Very helpful. The question isn’t who to control but how to set free/release.
I specially like the “End each day with quiet reflection”. Or even better start your day with a 5-minute zoom in time and end your day with a 5-minute zoom-out time.
Nicely put, Cutesolutions. Blanchard says we should find a way to start the day slowly.
I’m also stealing this stuff for our Selfless Leadership reframe of my Lost Dutchman game. Man, when we get all the packaging done around this package, you will boost up your wonderful reputation just a little more. (grin) Have fun out there, my friend.
Thanks Dr. Scott. YES, Have fun out there. 🙂
Glad to offer something steal-worthy.
Hiring a mentor is important as they can point out your blind spots.
Thanks Gerry. You nailed it. The leaders I coach appreciate having someone who tells them the real truth about themselves.