Good leaders make it a point to occasionally lose arguments, to be outvoted by the team, and to concede to the wisdom of others whenever they can. They know that getting their way on everything is a surefire way to create a passive team of disengaged followers.
Team members want to influence the decisions that affect them, and good leaders comply by listening intently and allowing the team to win on many of the decisions that matter most to them. Leaders who “get it” defer to the subject-matter expertise of those team members who are true experts on the issues at hand.
Good leaders also look for opportunities that allow team members to have their way when it comes to solutions and tactics to address small problems. They live with differences in opinion that aren’t worth fighting over. In short, they build pride in ownership by purposely having a smaller voice on many issues and decisions.
But good leaders stand their ground when it comes to the vision, mission, and values of the organization or team. Deferring to others when it involves the core values and guiding principles of the team doesn’t create buy-in and goodwill. It undermines the clarity and consistency the team needs to achieve excellence. The vision or mission of the organization may need to be updated or reworked on occasion, but not through a process of submitting to the whims of others.
There are some decisions that only the leader can make. Leaders who mistakenly allow the team to have an undue influence over the vision and values of the organization relinquish their role as the leader. This is not to say that leaders should work to establish the core principles without input, but such decisions are made in consultation with others and not by consensus.
The best leaders concede that they don’t have to have their way on many of the decisions critical for executing strategy. They know when to stand their ground over issues, which battles they must win, and when to allow the team to outflank them.
Sometimes, winning the argument is how to lose the team. But the vision, mission, and values of the team are never up for grabs. Input is welcome, but influence is unlikely to make for any real change. Good leaders defend the ground of values at all costs.
I love reading this!!! I would understand the fact that when leaders bent to the submission of their rightful principles, its not losing their credibility from the perspective of organizational interest but rather an education-driven approach. Our cognitive biases form the virtue of intolerance in the midst of trivial resonance. And, when leaders opted the way to giving in will indeed undermined the tenet of leadership from a subjective inference. I am reminded of one the greatest philosophers who posited that educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. With this logical assertion, yoi know when to lose or win. Whether your leadership is relinquished or not does not affect the virtue of accepting differences in views of unprecedented educative sense of the claimable wisdomful ignorants.
Great Day to All!
This was quite an interesting read, as I’m pondering the ins and outs of the clarity. I really wonder if leaders do what they do.
As one who’s been in Leadership rolls for many years I don’t think I’ve ever conceded to losing or backing down on purpose. The one thing I’ve been taught is to let your hire’s do what they were hired to do.
I think a perfect example of this would be Bill Belichick and New England Patriots. I’m far from being a patriots fan or even a Bill Belichick fan but I am a fan of how well that organization ran. The complexities of doing so mean that you have to hire the people whom you trust and instill confidence in to do their part in the running of the business. If I’ve hired an offensive coordinator I expect him to perform as the coordinator and his assistant coaches need to specifically teach and coach the players at the respective positions.
Like in business this too needs to be instilled. as a manager or CEO you’re at a level where you brought people into your organization under your wing to perform as they need to perform. The vision and mission is set in place that needs to be carried out.
Processes and procedures are vital in this endeavor and if we are constantly looking over our shoulders to see what the best move is we are causing waste and delay.
I’m not saying to be a quiet leader, in the same token I’m not saying that I leave it up to you to do what’s right in getting the mission accomplished.
All of this being said, I’m not saying that the process or procedure for pure flowing business cannot be changed or better yet improved. Hence, “ continuous improvement“. But I am saying during daily situational business decisions conceding isn’t letting your team make the calls, you hired them to make the calls. It’s their responsibility to make the calls.
In closing, I am not saying this theory is a show of weakness or softness however, a good leader has put together a team assembled the brain trust to do what they were supposed to do.
Lastly, Love these conversations and perspectives keep up the great work and have a beautiful safe day and stay strong!