 ENLIGHTENED
LEADERSHIP (Continued)
"Take pride in refusing to take credit for the achievement of others."
"Instead of believing that you know what's best for others, trust that they
know what's best for themselves."
This of course is the basis of the Coach Approach to Leadership. You will
be surprised at how well people can think and how well they can do if you
hand them the ball and let them run with it. With this approach you will
also get the opportunity to see firsthand whether you have been doing all
the thinking and perhaps in some cases even actually doing the work. On the
other hand, you might find that a subordinate may not be capable of doing
what the job calls for and therefore, he or she may need a different
position on the team or may need to be terminated.
Dyer goes on to say that truly inspiring leaders encourage others to be
responsible and do the right thing. A sure fire way to push responsibility
down into the organization is to meet with people on a regular basis and ask
a boatload of questions as to what they think they should do. So many folks
are so busy worrying about what everybody else is doing in the organization
they seldom turn the microscope in on themselves. Of course, once they
start having ideas and once they commit to doing something, YOUR job is to
follow up. Remember what General Patton said, "Leadership is 5% command and
95% follow up." That is simple accountability.
Speaking of accountability... When a direct report commits to doing
something, make sure that you drill down deeply enough until you are clear
about what is being proposed so that there is no question about what is to
be done.
Far too many executive meetings end with its participants making assumptions
about what is supposed to happen. It may seem petty, but if you ask for a
recap from your direct report it will go a long way in making happen what
needs to happen. From the perspective of Executive Leadership you will
often find it hard to believe that something is not getting done from an
otherwise very capable person. If this happens in your organization, please
be sure to check to see if you are being a "bottomless pit" boss. That is
my way of describing the boss who just "piles it on" without regard to what
is already on ones "to do" list. This problem is shared by the direct
report, as well, if they do not insist on meeting with the boss and getting
some help with prioritizing. Unfortunately, things are usually not getting
done because you are not holding your execs accountable and they, in turn,
are not holding their direct reports accountable. That is why you end up
with the entire burden on your shoulders.
If you need help in achieving Enlightened Leadership and holding your
executives accountable, call me.
Allen Hatton | 
