Marcia's Leadership Q and As:

Q. As a manager, I’ve worked to develop my leadership, and I want to focus on helping my team members develop theirs and apply more leadership in 2022. How do I do this?

A. This is a strategic, forward-thinking question I love to read! Recent years have been full of uncertainty and challenges; the years have also delivered valuable lessons at a pace we never before imagined! Some managers cowered while others pivoted, adapted and stepped into their leadership. It is necessary for leaders to examine their own development, but one of their greatest responsibilities is to guide their team/staff in learning and applying leadership principles. How does this happen?

One of the best ways to help others develop their self-esteem and natural leadership is to pose an issue (hopefully that is connected to and can make a difference to customers.) In a meeting, deliver the problem, ask a few questions, and then sit back and listen. Give people time to talk, ponder, struggle, and share ideas—don’t interrupt. Observe their interactions. If they are discussing symptoms to a problem, it won’t be solved. After they’ve had some time to address the issue, ask questions to ensure that they are talking about the root causes of a problem, options to solve it, and ideas to apply their plan. When you feel they have discovered a good solution to implement together, have them summarize, acknowledge their contributions, and have them apply them. Schedule the follow-up meeting. Do this repeatedly.

Also schedule a variety of learning classes. They may be 90-minute Lunch-N-Learns (virtual or in-person if it’s safe) or a two-day retreat.  Periodic conversations where you ask questions about the person’s communication, developments, challenges, etc. are important so you really understand your team member and how to help them.

 Caution: there are thousands of books and videos about leadership, and I’d guesstimate more than 90% are full of hype, management fads, buzzwords, and “best practices” that I have seen take both Fortune 500 corporations and small businesses into struggles and their demise. Leaders need a foundation of theoretical management—it’s essential. Start with excellent resources (see resources on my website mdaszko.com), a coach based in systems and statistical thinking), a workshop or conference where team members can get some outside thinking and new concepts and tools. I regularly post relevant ideas on Linked In—follow me there for tips that can help your team.