When the Leader Lets Go
Understand how difficult it can be to change.
How easy is it to let go of “that’s the way we have always done it”? I have come to find out that even in the face of plain common sense, a sense of stubbornness and habit can take over. Let’s take examples from home and then apply them to the workplace.
MOWING THE LAWN: Early in our marriage my husband came running out of the house to ask me to stop mid-mow to let me know “that’s not how you mow a lawn.” He carefully explained that mowing in straight lines made a nice neat pattern and brought order to his universe. I carefully explained how nice that was for him; however, I was confident that at the end of my time with the mower all the grass would be shorter, and I preferred not to mow in a straight line pattern. I helped him understand that in the bigger scheme of things I enjoyed the chore, enjoyed doing it my way, and was confident no harm was coming to the airplanes he seemed certain were landing according to the lines in the lawn.
TOWELS: It was only a few days later that I was in the family room refolding towels that my husband had taken from the dryer earlier and stacked in a laundry basket. “Hey, I folded those earlier!” he informed me. “Yes, but they were not folded correctly. It needs to be done in a tri-fold, like this, so they fit neatly in the closet.” I went on to explain how visitors to the house could be nosy and look in closets, and I wanted the towel closet to be neat if they did. Although every fiber of my being told me that whether people knew the towel closet was neat or not did not matter, I knew in my bones it made me feel better to have it done “just so.”
My husband looked at me and said, “I have one word for you: lawn.” And thus the tale of “I have always done it this way” endures. Only our personal experience helps us understand how hard it can be to change. These examples are simple and the activities described don’t really affect anything except a deep need to have things done a certain way, out of habit or some rationale that, in the end, we know doesn’t really matter.
Some leaders don’t let go because they’ve forgotten what role they might play if they don’t have to spend all their time “managing” their staff. Don’t worry, there’s a lot to do: strategic planning, removing obstacles for staff, mentoring, coaching, developing self-managed teams, catching up on professional reading, building better relationships with other departments, ensuring that clear agreements are effectively used by the department, and many other actions that can bring the organization to the next level.
You could begin this better use of a leader’s time by sharing stories like the lawn and towels. Encourage others to share similar stories from their lives. After a good laugh, seek agreement from your work group that everyone will be less defensive about their way of doing things, and more open to looking at other, more effective ways so the leader can let go and get going.
Read the full article at: lindagalindo.com
Patty Block, President and Founder of The Block Group, established her company to advocate for women-owned businesses, helping them position their companies for strategic growth. Charting the course for impactful, sustainable, profitable businesses, the beacon is control: of your strategic direction, your money, your time, your staffing, and your ability to bring in business. The Block Group brings together the people, resources and ideas that build results.
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