To grow the revenue, outcomes, impact, and relevance of our organizations, we as leaders must get out of the weeds. Wherever we are doing or managing the work, we are creating serious limits to our growth. To the extent we focus on leading, we will grow.
Leading means hiring the best people, stewarding the SweetSpot of the organization, constantly showing people how they contribute to the overall goals and SweetSpot, and building the capacity of the organization through systems, rhythms, norms, and culture.
If, in the last 24 hours, you corrected someone’s work, came up with a better idea, overrode a decision, or did work that another could and should do, then you have been in the weeds. What can you do today to become the kind of person who builds the environment where others can succeed at doing and managing the work?
In your corner,
Mike
Today’s photo credit: Rudolf Getel cc
Not sure I totally agree that correcting someone’s work is necessarily “in the weeds”. It could be part of coaching someone in the development of a new skill – and if both parties agree that this is the objective, then correcting the work is a form of very useful feedback. How will they get better otherwise? Maybe the finer distinction is that the feedback is useful, (and I would argue, good leadership) but the person should do the correcting him/herself?
OK, I get it. I stand corected. There is a place for correction, to be sure. It is the leader’s job to set the broad boundaries and to help people when learning, growing.
My intent here is to highlight how we as leaders can end up in the micromanagement habit. If you are correcting because you are trying to get people to do stuff…and they regularly don’t, you may be in that trap. If you are correcting as part of developing their capacity, good on ya.
Mike