Don’t be a hero

Here’s the best thing you can do to prepare your teams for potential problems

The buck stops with you as leader, right? Well, yes. So, what do you do when things start going awry? Our tendancy is usually to jump in, take control and get things sorted. But an article in Kellogg Insight contends this approach “can lead to more problems than it fixes.”

How so? The article notes when leaders are getting their hands dirty fixing operational problems, “they’re not focused on strategy, and doing someone else’s job.” They’re also signalling to their team “their input is not desired—and may not be considered.” Rather, “leaders should show restraint and consider how their actions and decisions impact the broader company.”

The author gives three pieces of advice. The article expands on these in detail with examples but in summary:

1. Let go of being a hero
   Senior leaders involved in tactical processes is a misallocation of resources and demonstrates a lack of trust in their teams, believing they are the only person who can fix the problem.
2. Trust your team
   Are you more afraid your team will fail or that you’ve not created accountability? Either way, it demonstrates poor leadership.
3. Avoid confirmation bias
   It may be difficult for you to hear, but there are limits to your ability to understand the full story. You may fail to listen when the information doesn’t conform to your views, or your team has learnt not to offer dissenting views.

The best thing a leader can do is prepare their teams for potential issues and problems through reviews of previous experiences and working through potential scenarios. Then when something does occur, step back, trust your team and find out from them what they might need from you.

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Photograph: Kues on Freepik.