Marcia’s Leadership Q&A
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Q. Our organization has grown, and now there are more people available to do the day-to-day work that managers used to have to deal with. But many managers still have a strong tendency to take on the tasks. How do we break the “I’ll take care of it” reflex?
A. Great question, and I’m smiling! One of my mentors told me over 20 years ago, “a great leader is a lazy leader.” That’s a pretty surprising yet memorable comment, isn’t it? It’s also powerful. A leader doesn’t do the tasks that can be delegated unless it’s a time when all hands need to work together to get the job done. As people move from a more detailed and sometimes analytic role (like a sales person or an engineer) into management and leadership, it means the mindset and the role of the person also must change. Leaders need to think strategically, create and work ON the systems that the people work IN, anticipate and pursue opportunities, and develop the people. They delegate the work and create the environment where people contribute ideas and are self-motivated to contribute.
Q. It’s easy to get caught up in everyday work. How do you get off the hamster wheel to make time to plan and do something big or meaningful for the company?
A. Whether an executive, a manager, or a team member, it’s important to have a tentative plan for your day and week. Then adapt as needed. If you know what to need to accomplish, you can focus and prioritize. Look at how you spend your time. If you’re in back-to-back meetings, when do you read and respond to emails ,customers’ requests, think and plan, and do your work? Planning, communicating, reflecting on lessons learned, are part of the job. Schedule time for those essential tasks, too. You might need to schedule 30 or 60 minutes at the beginning and end of the day to keep information flowing. If you don’t Plan, you will be in Do-Do-Do mode all day long, just reacting and feeling drained and stressed by the end of the day. Schedule quiet time to think, plan and focus on the priorities. Use the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, a tool to continually improve. You work short term, but think longer term to contribute doing more meaningful and innovative work in the company and for the customers.
Q. I’m going to step down from the President position for personal reasons. I’m concerned I may miss it, regret my decision, or not agree with some of the decisions my predecessors make, though I’ve been grooming them for months. What do I do if I regret leaving?
A. It will be natural to miss the leadership you’ve had, the people you interact with, the challenges and routines, etc. Your work and position has been a big part of your life. It’s time to consider your transition. Reflect on your contributions, what you learned and the progress you made, your legacy, and the reality of the emotions (the good and the bad.) You may want to take a break for a few weeks or months before moving on to your new life or encore career. You may feel a loss of what you miss; it’s natural. Grieve what you miss, so you can move forward. Look forward to new opportunities, new routines, new experiences. An important step is to Let Go. Don’t look back or stay involved in the decisions (unless you’re called for advice.). Give the new leader space to lead, to explore, and to make mistakes, too. Most people have a transition time; take that time to adapt, and have some plans so you don’t go from working full-time to having nothing on your calendar. Give your new life space and an opportunity to be very self-satisfying. It has happened, but rarely that leaders are called back into a company to deal with a special project, to save it or turn it around (like Steve Jobs at Apple.). If that happens, assess the situation and consider giving yourself a timeline to make it a temporary time and not permanent. Think about the why before re-entering. Every situation is different, so there is not one answer, but keep in mind why you left and your life goals and stay true to those.
Send your leadership and team questions to Marcia Daszko at md@mdaszko.com. She works with Boards, C-suite leaders and teams to pivot, innovate, accelerate and achieve bold results never before imagined. A provocative keynote & virtual speaker, strategic Deming advisor/consultant for 25+ years, she is the bestselling author of the book “Pivot Disrupt Transform.” www.mdaszko.com
