Business & the Consequences of Bare Minimum Leadership
Posted on August 10, 2016 by Nathan R Mitchell, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Nathan R Mitchell, founder of Clutch Consulting, addresses the consequences of bare minimum leadership, and how it can negatively impact your business
Unfortunately, we live in a world where the “bare minimum” has practically become common practice, and as a result, many view it as acceptable behavior. For many, when it comes to their health, they do the “bare minimum” in the gym. For many, when it comes to their own personal growth and development, or their education, they also do the “bare minimum.” In other words, “just enough to get by.” And it’s no different in the world of business. At the end of the day, the majority of managers in the workforce today also do the “bare minimum” when it comes to leading and developing their people, and consequently, organizational results are often subpar, turnover is high, and the bottom-line is drastically impacted.
With that being said, good leaders do a number of things well. For instance, they create a positive workplace environment; they nurture their people; and they equip them with the tools and resources they need to be successful in their jobs. The amazing thing is this: the leaders who do these few things well have already surpassed the majority of their counterparts in today’s workforce. Don’t get me wrong, the things I’ve mentioned above are not simple to accomplish. In fact, they are hard work. And it takes time to do each of them well. However, when it comes to leadership, this is the “bare minimum.” In other words, they will make you a good leader, but never great.
What I’ve discovered, both through my own research, as well as through working with my executive coaching clients, the very best leaders (what I like to call the 3-percenters), take their people to even a higher level. And they accomplish this by empowering them to reach their full potential through the power of personal growth and development. In my professional opinion, if you want superstar team members that are loyal, engaged, and productive in their jobs, find out what they want, and help them achieve it. The challenge here is that not everyone is motivated by the same things. This is why I’ve been saying for a long time that, “Superior performance starts with increasing our self-awareness.” And it’s no different for today’s leaders. Those leaders that have a comprehensive understanding of their team members’ behaviors, motivators, and unique talents, are far more equipped themselves to lead their teams more effectively as well.
So, with that in mind, here’s a simple, yet comprehensive 3-step plan, to take the leap from good leader to great leader, and have your team members turn into your raving fans during the process.
Help each team member identify their unique purpose in life, and help them fulfill that purpose in the workplace.
When you help someone discover their unique WHY – in other words, their purpose, the results are nothing short of transformational. As my good friend and mentor, Jim Whitt, suggests, “We intuitively know that we are here on planet earth to do something specific and heroic.” At the end of the day, your team members want this too. They want to fulfill their destiny. When you help them discover their unique purpose in life, you set them up to be liberated and to reach their full potential.
Assess each team members’ behaviors, motivators, and competencies using organizational assessments
When you have a better understanding of the HOW, WHY, & WHAT of your team members’ behaviors and actions, you are better equipped as their leader to manage and lead them more effectively. In other words, you learn how they prefer to communicate; what drives them intrinsically for rewards other than financial compensation; and their unique skills and abilities that can be leveraged to the benefit of the team and the organization as a whole. At the end of the day, when you help your team members focus on their strengths and stay within the Sweet Spot, engagement, productivity, and team collaboration can skyrocket.
Customize a personal growth and development plan to each team member’s unique drivers and needs
Once you identify your team members’ individual strengths, rather than have them focus on their weaknesses as many leaders and organizations do, customize a professional growth and development plan that helps them take their strengths to a new level. Once you recognize the strengths of everyone on your team, you can delegate much more effectively based on what each member of the team is good at.
