Marcia's Leadership Q&As: What are your leadership questions?

Q. I’ve run teams and my business for years. People recommend I get a coach. How do I know if I need one?

A. You’ve “run teams and a business.” Essentially, you’ve been a leader, facilitator or coach. But how good have you been? How did you keep improving your leading and coaching? Getting a fresh outside perspective on how you do what you do and how you can be more effective is important in life and work.  

I spoke once to a successful entrepreneur; in a short chat, he discovered new ideas and ways to look at his business. At the end of the conversation he said, “Oh, I thought I had a successful business, but now I wonder, how much more successful could I have been?” It’s a powerful question. Even if you think you’re doing well, how much better could you be?  

Leadership is more than getting a coach or adopting a checklist of leadership traits. 

The articles that headline: “Six Tips of a Leader” or Three Things CEOs Do Daily” are so superficial. Leadership takes knowledge about how to optimize systems and develop people.  And it takes courage with that knowledge. Being a great leader means committing to continually learning and listening. Leaders can make changes (change management—another fad.)  

But great leaders transform themselves and their organizations by seeing through a lens of strategic, systems and statistical thinking. That’s what a knowledgeable coach can bring you—with the questions to guide the implementation of new concepts. If a coach doesn’t understand that, you’ve met a hack with superficial ideas. As resources, excellent leadership books may not be some of the bestsellers by known names—they are selling the sizzle, not the steak.

Marcia’s Leadership Q&A

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

Q. When should a team prepare for a crisis? Is it too early to plan for the next crisis, especially when we’re still in the middle of this one?

A. Great leaders, at work and at home, anticipate and consider challenges and how they will respond to them. Whether it’s pilots training to deal with a challenge in flight, families preparing for an earthquake or a hurricane, a driver being aware of the traffic, a company preparing for a pandemic or loss of a major client, people do a variety of crisis planning. Some companies had a plan in case they were ever faced with a pandemic. Did your company have a plan? Those that had one had created it with calm rationality and could quickly adapt it. Others had to rapidly pivot, or they struggled.

Thoughtful leaders at home and at work think ahead. They scan their environment for safety. What might they be faced with?  With your team, what do you need to think about, anticipate, discuss, plan and prepare for? It’s never too late to make a plan. That’s what leaders do. When it’s needed, leaders and their rapid action teams adapt and pivot, and respond. If an unforeseen crisis occurs, teams who have a foundation in leadership thinking, will respond rather than react or freeze in fear.

Q. What signs should a leader look out for that signal that they may not be the right leader for the job anymore or should take a different role in the organization and move aside?

A. It is not uncommon for a founder, owner or executive to move aside as an organization grows, needs to scale, or goes through transitions they have no experience in or are uncomfortable with. The enterprise may be moving and growing at a fast pace, building in complexity, or innovating into new areas of expertise. If executives feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable, fearful, or are micro-managing, they need to assess if they are continuing to find joy and satisfaction in their current position.

There are multiple ways to address this situation. Many young founders have a close mentor(s) such as a supportive CEO, Board Director or a professor who guide and advise them as they navigate and develop. Or an executive may have founded an organization and be passionate about product development, but may not have an affinity for running or growing a business. People have natural leadership within them and each person needs to decide where they can best contribute and feel fulfilled.