#6 - Incomplete Leader!
6 Apr 24
Expectations are always high when someone adopts a position of leadership.
There is a perception that leaders have all the answers. This can drive decision-making upwards, rather than devolving it down to where the key information is.
The Incomplete Leader approach allows leaders to acknowledge their skills gaps. It also encourages them to look to their team members, who do have those skills, to complement those of the leader.
Adopting this approach will drive team effectiveness and cohesion.
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#6 - Incomplete Leader!
What?
There is a tendency in some quarters to believe that leaders have all the answers. Also that they know how to solve all problems and just...well, know everything.
This is far from the truth since you would have to have a brain the size of a planet to store all the information required to support that hypothesis.
And yet this perception persists. The result is that some leaders feel exposed when they first start a new role, thinking that all eyes are on them. The pressure to succeed can be overwhelming, and the perceived expectations interpreted as very high.
The end result is that this could drive bad behaviour in so much as the leader is willing to go along with the perception that they, and only they, can solve the problems that will inevitably be encountered. This drives decision-making to the top, further away from where the actual key information is, and micro-management or an autocratic style of leadership results.
Why?
Leaders do not want to look exposed in any area. They feel that their credibility is at stake and this fuels a centralisation of decision-making. It robs those in the team of any opportunity for them to make any meaningful contribution or engagement.
When team members sense this happening, human nature naturally drives them to say 'Well, let them get on with it.' Their contribution reduces to the bare minimum and the pressure on the leader consequently increases exponentially.
But there is an antidote to these behaviours and that is to embrace the concept of the Incomplete Leader. It builds on a quote that was famously attributed to Steve Jobs:
'It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.'
The Incomplete Leader self-reflects and recognises that they have strengths and weaknesses. They also recognise that they cannot possibly cover all bases.
How?
The Incomplete Leader approach accepts that some personal skill gaps are just not worth the investment in time or energy to address. It's far better to assign those tasks to someone who already has the required level of expertise to do it.
In business, Companies adopt the same approach. If the Company does not possess the capability required, then they will sub-contract it out to a specialist Company that does. It makes absolute sense unless those skills will be used consistently time and time again. In which case, then it makes sense to invest in upskilling.
So, as an Incomplete Leader park your ego!
You should acknowledge that you are not good at everything, and never will be.
Identify those tasks that you can sub-contract (i.e. delegate) out to your team members. They will be able to do them faster and to a higher standard than you. Their skills will complement yours
Deploy a focussed questioning style to elicit the key information you need from your subject matter experts. This will drive effective decision-making.
This approach will empower your team, drive cohesion and make them feel that they are contributing. It will also free up your bandwidth and allow you to think more strategically.
In Summary
I hope that you enjoyed reading this newsletter and that it has given you food for thought.
Acknowledging your limitations as a leader is a key step to embracing the concept of the Incomplete Leader. Complement your skills with those held within the team.
You don't have all the answers, but you have a team that does!
Have a great week!
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