Urging Team Members to Play More Aggressively

Occasionally, leaders recognize the team is becoming lethargic, complacent, or too accepting of inferior performance. 

The recipe for more success is sometimes painfully obvious. The team needs to engage more aggressively, with more passion, and by taking more risks. But going from zero to 60 in three seconds takes a tremendous amount of horsepower, and most teams lack the ability to find those energy reserves. 

Asking team members to find another gear and to ratchet up their aggressiveness isn’t as easy as it sounds. It takes time for people to shift from one mode or style of engagement to another, especially when the request is to take more risks and chances. 

The better leadership choice is to make this request early in the project, sales cycle, game, or initiative before the rhythm or style of play gets set. 

Similar to leading with strict discipline or rules, it is easier to lighten up over time than it is to turn up the dial. Preaching aggressiveness early in a year, a season, or in a project allows leaders to regulate intensity as they see fit. The team can always dial it back later on, but it is much harder to increase the intensity and urgency after starting from a relaxed climate. 

The pundits like to say that every moment is a new beginning. This rings true for those with an eye toward improving performance. But some moments are easier than others. Going from low energy to high energy, or passive play to aggressive play, makes the shift for improvement much harder.

The best leaders know that taking risks is easier when the team has already taken some.