Whose Work Are You Actually Doing?

In many organizations today, I keep seeing leaders working a level or two below where they should be working (and I’m talking about those charged with leadership at all levels, not just CEOs). In other words, they are doing tasks their people, or their people’s people, should be doing, as opposed to the strategic functions outlined in their job descriptions. This happens either because leaders don’t trust the people working for them to accomplish tasks, or they have not established an effective accountability framework in the organization.

Experience has shown us that the longer high performing teams operate and develop and become more effective, the more a leader should be able to let them do their work and focus on the strategic, long-term vision that is really important to move the organization forward.

Leaders have a responsibility to set the tone for a climate of trust and accountability. They need to be focused on the “right” things (those things that will make a difference) and not allow themselves to always get bogged down in the minutiae of tasks and projects. So what is the best way to stay focused on strategic leadership while ensuring projects move forward?

A leader should focus on building the teams capability and trust while creating a commitment to individual and team accountability.

This encourages the team to collectively own the decisions and responsibilities they make. If a leader can develop the trust to allow team members to accomplish their goals, then he or she can stay focused on the business of leadership.

At some points in the evolution of an organization, there are moments when the leader needs to manage the team. But at other times, you need to move from managing to leading the team. When you can trust a high performing team to do the necessary work, this will allow you the time to focus on strategic decision-making.

If you are struggling with building a high performing team, leadership coaching can help. When I coach, I work with both the leader and the team. We’ve found a coach can support a leader in creating the necessary climate of mutual respect, trust, and accountability that allow high performing teams to flourish and meet their goals over a sustained period of time.