Be in the Team - Not Above it

John C. Maxwell said:

'A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.'

I've always been impressed by leaders who don't just point, they muck in. I've met founders who have built their businesses from nothing and still occasionally answer customer calls. Teams admire these leaders and see them in the team and not above it. And what do you think the team feel about that leader?

• They are not too important to get their hands dirty

• They are one of us

• They understand what we're going through

This is, of course, a careful balance. Stay 'in the weeds' too long and you'll get entangled, fly too high and you'll not understand the blockers.

I've concluded the problem is that Leaders who participate with teams get caught up and try to rescue. They're desperate to fix an issue they barely understand.

The Trust Triangle Team Leader Program teaches how to navigate this balance by clearly showing that those closest to the problem are most motivated and qualified to fix it. So by all means muck in but don't rescue - empower! In fact follow the advice of one wise sage and be more Yoda and less Superman.

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So follow Mr Maxwell's advice:

Knows the way:

This is not just the future state it's the current state of the business. Understand more.

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Goes the way:

Don't just tell me, show me. You'll gain unfathomable trust from the team if you are shoulder to shoulder with them on the 'coal face'.

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Shows the way:

Super clear expectations about strategy and communicating that in an understandable and compelling way.

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Good luck!

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Check out Matthew's Book: The Trust Triangle - How to Manage Humans at Work.

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