Be a Resource, Not a Limiter

These thoughts from Matt Perman are helping me think differently about how we do leadership development at The Vine.  He writes:

The people that are most helpful in any organization are those who take initiative, rather than simply doing what they are told. What organizations need from their people is engagement, not mere compliance. (And, conversely, this is what makes a job most satisfying — being engaged, rather than simply seeking to comply). 

This has implications for managers as well. If you manage in a certain way (namely, with a command and control focus), you incentivize compliance. But if you realize that management is not about control, but rather about helping to unleash the talents of your people for the performance of the organization, and that this comes from trusting your people and granting them autonomy, then you see yourself not as the “boss,” but as a source of help. 

A manager is a source of help and a catalyst, not a limiter or controller.

I was recently talking to one of my superiors at my job as a retail computer specialist.  They model this style of leadership very well in the company.  I have been very impressed by this.  I asked him about this and how to create a culture of freedom and empowerment for leaders to flourish and not just "follow the rules".

My first thought is that this requires a high degree of trust.  If you are going to be give people freedom to be creative, take ownership, and imagine new possibilities, you have to believe in them and trust them.  If you don't trust them you will want to control them. But being controlled in the minutia of the work environment is the last thing a real leader wants or needs.

My superior said it is all about finding the right people.  It is intentionally hard to get a job at our store.  They  weed out the wrong people (as they should) and then once the right people get in the door they give them freedom to do what Matt outlines above.

If you have a new initiative to roll out, instead of commanding all your people on how to do it, why not let them figure out how to do it on their own (assuming working within broad boundaries) and then they all report back with ideas about what is going well and what is not going well.  This way, instead of having one guy, with one perspective, telling everyone what to do, you have many people learning on the fly and coming at the issue from a variety of angles.  This process is freeing and empowering for people who truly want to lead and is way better for the company because you have true collaboration about how to do something well.  Everyone will have a different perspective, everyone will have unique challenges and solutions, and everyone will bring something different to the table.

But again, this all implies the right people are at the table.  Work hard on getting the right people and then let them fly.  Don't keep them in a cage.  It will be worse for your organization and true leaders will never want to be involved.

I have to get over my control issues, my need to always be right, and my fear of failure.  When this happens I think great things will happen as God's people are empowered to flourish for the sake of his glory in the Church.