October 14, 2024 • 37 mins
Unlock the secrets to successful leadership by rejecting the myth of the solo leader. Today, we explore how the notion of "doing it all" is not just outdated but potentially detrimental. Witness the enlightening journeys of leaders like Jack Welch and Indra Nooyi, whose stories reveal that embracing teamwork leads to transformative success. Contrast this with cautionary tales like Elizabeth Holmes, whose reluctance to collaborate spelled failure. Through my own experiences as a new assistant professor, you'll see how the absence of a support network can lead to overwhelm and inefficiency, reinforcing the critical value of teamwork.
As we shift focus to the undeniable impact of collaborative leadership, discover how leaders who prioritize empowerment can revolutionize workplace culture and outcomes. Dive into research-backed insights that demonstrate how engaged teams outperform competitors and enjoy reduced turnover. Through practical examples like those of John and Sarah, learn why clear communication, effective delegation, and acknowledging team efforts are vital for fostering a motivated and productive environment. With this episode, equip yourself with actionable strategies to harness the power of collaboration and delegation, ensuring not only your success but also that of your team.
Hey leader! Thanks for listening. For more leadership communication tips, check out https://www.thecommunicativeleader.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Leah OH (00:00):
Welcome to the Communicative Leader.
I'm Dr Leah Om Hodges, alsoknown as Dr L.
Today, we're talking about acommon myth that many leaders
struggle with the idea that theyhave to do it all on their own.
In today's episode, we willunpack and, more importantly,
debunk the myth of the sololeader.
We're gonna look at the powerof collaboration and delegation.
(00:22):
We're gonna end by chattingabout the importance of having a
strong support network.
Let's have some fun.
Hello and welcome to theCommunicative Leader hosted by
me, D Leah O'Millian Hodges.
My friends call me Dr O.
I'm a professor ofcommunication and a leadership
communication expert.
(00:44):
On the Communicative Leader,we're working to make your work
life what you want it to be.
So let's talk about the myth ofthe solo leader.
Many of our titled leaderstruly believe that they're the
only ones who can get the jobdone.
They think they're the onlyones who understand what needs
to be done and that no one elsecan possibly help them.
(01:07):
You're expected to be asuperhero with the ability to
tackle any challenge that comesyour way, with or without help
or support from others.
This is a myth, my friends, andthis myth is one that can be
toxic.
It leads to burnout, toexhaustion and a sense of
isolation.
What else Mistakes?
(01:29):
When we are on overload all ofthe time, we tend to make
mistakes, and pretty silly ones.
And what happens right when wehave mistakes, especially when
they're fairly frequently?
What does that do to ourcredibility?
Well, steadily chips away at it.
In reality, leaders who try todo everything on their own often
(01:52):
end up again burning out,making silly errors and
struggling to achieve theirgoals.
In fact, research has shown thatleaders who prioritize
self-reliance and independenceare more likely to experience
burnout and turnover than ourtitle leaders who prioritize and
embrace collaboration andteamwork.
(02:14):
And, my friends, if you arelistening and you're nodding
along, you're not alone.
We all do this.
We are all guilty of this fromtime to time, regardless of our
title or our position.
The extra challenge for ourfriends in title leadership
positions, though, is you areunder a lot of scrutiny, you're
(02:34):
on the hook for things when itdoesn't turn out as planned, and
you're typically seen as anextension of the organization
itself.
So the pressure can reallymount if you're not
intentionally integratingstrategies for self-care,
collaboration and support.
So let's check out somestatistics.
A study by Gallup found that50% of employees in leadership
(02:57):
positions reported feelingburned out at work, with 60% of
the sample feeling overwhelmedby their workload.
The Harvard Business Review dida study and they found that
leaders who prioritizeself-reliance are 25% more
likely to experience burnoutthan those who embrace
collaboration.
(03:18):
Finally, a study by McKinseyfound that companies with high
levels of collaboration andteamwork are 20% more likely to
achieve their goals than thosethat have lower levels of
collaboration.
We've also seen this play out insome of the most notable
contemporary business leaders.
So let's look at Jack Welsh.
(03:39):
He was with GE.
He is often lauded for hisleadership at General Electric,
but he faced criticism for hisheavy-handed approach in his
early years.
His belief that he had topersonally oversee many aspects
of the business led to anunsustainable pace and an
overstretched leadership team.
(04:00):
But over time, welsh learned todelegate more effectively.
He recognized the value inempowering his executives and my
friends.
This turned to delegating andempowering, and this is why
Welsh is so widely seen as oneof the greats.
Now, another resoundinglypositive example of a leader who
(04:21):
made the shift from the greatleader myth is Indra Nooyi, who
was formerly the CEO at PepsiCo.
Well, nooyi is celebrated fortransforming Pepsi.
She initially struggled tobalance her visionary ideas with
the operational realities ofthe company.
She realized that by trying tocontrol too many details, she
(04:43):
was limiting her owneffectiveness as a leader.
Eventually, she focused onempowering her team to take
ownership of these variousinitiatives, and that led to
much more sustainable growth.
And while these are positiveexamples that demonstrate the
strength of self-reflection anda shift towards collaboration,
we can also look at examplesthat were never able to right
(05:06):
the ship to get on a sounder,more sustainable path.
On the complete other end ofthings, elizabeth Holmes Holmes
initially took on too many roleswithin her company, believing
she could single-handedlyrevolutionize healthcare with
her technology.
Her reluctance to seek outsideexpertise or build a strong,
(05:27):
diverse leadership team and, ofcourse, among other very
questionable and unethicalpractices, has ultimately
contributed to the company'sdramatic failure and legal
troubles.
And, my friends, I've seen thismyth play out firsthand in my
own career.
When I became a brand newtenure track assistant professor
(05:48):
many years ago, I said yes toeverything and I tried to do
everything on my own.
I felt like I needed to provemyself, and often this meant
that I was doing way too much,taking on much more in service
and teaching committee work thanmy fair share and feeling like
I had to do it all on my own.
(06:09):
But it became clear very, veryquick like first semester, a
month in two months in that thisapproach was unsustainable and,
perhaps more importantly, itwas ridiculously ineffective.
This mismanaged approach towork was not I repeat, was not
getting me to where I wanted tobe.
(06:30):
I was working long hours, I wasmaking mistakes, I was isolated
, I was overwhelmed and I wasn'teven successful.
So you add that all up and yourealize something is really out
of balance here.
So what else?
In this time, this approach wasdamaging to my nearest and
dearest relationships because Iwas continually prioritizing
(06:54):
work over everything else,including family and friends.
I also realized that alwayssaying yes, especially when I
was new, meant that was likelythe lens I would be seen in
indefinitely.
And don't get me wrong, I amall for teamwork, working
collaboratively, pulling myweight, but that is
(07:16):
qualitatively different thanbeing the person who always
raises her hand for every needand always offers to shoulder
the majority of the weight ofthe role.
There was this one day Iremember I was walking out of my
building, I was walking to theparking lot.
It was a super long day andeven longer few months, and I
(07:38):
realized that everyone importantin my life was angry at me.
Maybe angry is not the word,but maybe, like peeved, they
were annoyed.
I was walking out and I wasthinking about how obnoxious it
was that my partner was mad atme, or my sister was frustrated,
or my best friend or my mom,and then it finally dawned on me
(08:00):
I was the only commondenominator here.
What I was doing at work,trying to be all things to
everyone, left me incapable ofshowing up for those who
mattered most.
And that wasn't it.
If we're being honest, I wasn'tshowing up as my best self for
my students or my colleagues,because I was stretched too thin
(08:22):
.
It wasn't until I learned tobuild a strong support network,
volunteer my time strategicallyand delegate.
When I started to see thingsactually shift and actually
change for the better, my sistergave me a book about setting
better boundaries.
I took time to write out goals,and this is something I still
(08:44):
do.
My friends, at the beginning ofevery semester, I have semester
goals and academic school yeargoals, and when I had these
goals set and when I had, youknow, thoughtful, healthy
boundaries, these are the plansthat made it possible for me to
achieve my goals.
That made it possible for me toachieve my goals.
(09:04):
What else?
As a result, I became moreproductive, I was more motivated
, I was more engaged.
What else?
I was so much happier, I gotsleep.
People weren't mad at me allthe time because I was able to
show up for them.
So the moral of the story here,my friends, is there are true
(09:26):
consequences to that myth of thesolo leader.
When leaders, or just employees, when anyone tries to do
everything on their own, theseconsequences can be severe.
And again, burnout is just oneexample, but it's not the only
one.
So if you are a titled leaderand you tend to prioritize doing
(09:46):
it on your own or thatself-reliance over a more
collaborative approach, againyou might miss opportunities by
not seeking input from others.
Again, if we are notintegrating innovation or new
perspectives that could lead tobetter outcomes, that's not
going to reflect well on us.
(10:07):
We can also struggle withaccountability.
When leaders do everything ontheir own, they might struggle
to actually get it done.
And then to raise your hand andsay, yes, that was my mistake,
or my failure, my shortcoming,because again you're stretched
too thin.
Coming Because again you'restretched too thin.
(10:29):
So it is time let's kick thismyth to the curb.
We have got to stop believingin the myth of the solo leader.
Instead, I want you to focus onbuilding strong networks,
engineering your team and yourworkplace for employee
empowerment and leaning intodelegation, and we're going to
talk about how to do all of thisin these next few segments.
But when we do this, we canachieve our goals without the
(10:52):
burnout and we can become evenbetter leaders and teammates and
partners in the process.
It's not just about gettingthings done quickly or
efficiently.
It's about building trust andrelationships with those we work
with.
When we involve others indecision-making, we build trust
(11:12):
and foster a sense of ownershipacross our team.
Guess what else?
My friends and I really lovethis one when you lean into
collaboration and cultivating anenvironment of empowerment.
This speaks directly to Gen Z'sleadership preferences.
We know that Gen Z is startingto storm into industry,
(11:36):
embracing full-time work, comingof age, and with Gen Z, we need
to be mindful that they reallyprefer and embrace leaders who
embody self-awareness right, notburning yourself out, burning
the candle at both ends and notgetting anything done.
They also embrace leaders whocan engage in self-management,
(12:01):
social awareness, management,social awareness and the ability
to manage relationships.
It is time we improve atreading the room and show our
youngest of employees that we'reaware of their preferences.
But, more importantly, werecognize the importance of
showing up as a title leader, ofrole modeling and engaging in
(12:22):
the workplace that way.
So how can leaders break freefrom this myth and start
embracing their team members andnot just working with them, but
really raising them up andrelying on them in important
ways?
One of the easiest ways to dothis is to delegate effectively.
You know, this isn't justtossing a assignment at someone
(12:46):
or forwarding an email with noexplanation.
This means giving clearinstructions, providing
resources and support and thentrusting and this can be the
hardest one, my friends trustingyour team member to take
ownership of the task, of thetask.
(13:08):
It's also not just aboutdelegating.
It's about empowering teammembers, your colleagues, to
make decisions, to takecalculated risks.
When leaders give their teammembers autonomy, we are also
building competence andmotivation.
What else Research shows us overand over and over?
We're going to look at some ofthis in a minute, and this makes
me really excited.
But the research supports thatour leaders who are prioritizing
(13:31):
collaboration and empowerment.
You have so many positive workoutcomes, my friends.
We're going to touch on just afew of these key statistics.
So employee engagement Galluptells us that companies with
highly engaged teams outperformtheir competitors by 147% in
(13:52):
earnings per share.
Right, 147% in earnings pershare.
I mean, that is just off thecharts.
You can't even make sense ofthat number.
So empowering leaders whoencourage collaboration it
fosters high levels ofengagement because people feel
seen, they are excited, theytend to be more motivated in
(14:14):
their work because they knowthat you trust them and they
have the confidence to beinnovative.
Not just engagement, butproductivity also.
Source we see that a study fromHarvard Business Review that
teams that have collaborativeworking environments are five
times more likely to be highperforming.
(14:36):
So we have this empowered team.
They're more likely to beengaged, they're more likely to
be innovative and productive aswell.
So not only do we have thisemployee engagement, not only do
we have five times higherproductivity which these numbers
just insane but I want to talkto you about retention as well.
So research by Deloitte itshows us that organizations with
(15:00):
high levels of employeeengagement see 50% lower
turnover rates.
What does this mean, my friends?
When leaders empower theirteams, employees feel more
valued and they're less likelyto leave the organization.
Retention is really expensive.
It is financially expensive toorganizations, is really
(15:25):
expensive.
It is financially expensive toorganizations.
It takes up so much time interms of new onboarding and
getting new employees up tospeed.
We know that employees leavewith a whole wealth of
organizational knowledge.
Retaining employees, especiallyretaining good employees that
is gold.
These statistics suggest astrong correlation between
leadership styles that emphasizecollaboration and empowerment
(15:47):
and so many positive outcomes,including satisfaction,
productivity and overallorganizational performance.
So we know that the ability todelegate well and collaborate
with your team leads to a wealthof important work outcomes.
So what are those best practices?
So how do I delegate well andhow do I collaborate Well?
(16:09):
That's what we're going to lookat when we delegate effectively
.
Again, this is a crucial skillfor leaders, for managers,
because it allows you tooptimize your time while also
developing your team andachieving organizational goals
more effectively.
Here are some best practices.
(16:30):
So one I want you to thinkabout clear objectives.
Define that task.
Like I said earlier, this isnot just saying like, hey, I
need help on the Smith project,or forwarding an email with no
explanation.
You need to clearly outlinewhat needs to be done and what
are the expected outcomes.
When you do this, then all of asudden we're much more likely
(16:54):
to see success and to see youremployee you know actually
produce what you had in yourmind than if we just again kind
of throw it to them like a hotpotato and expect them to figure
it out.
So I want to look at twoexamples together.
So first we're going to look atthe less effective delegation.
(17:15):
So we have a manager.
We're going to call him John.
He's a team leader in an ITdepartment.
So John is working on asoftware development project and
he decides to delegate the taskof testing the new feature to
the team members.
The delegation style.
What does John do?
Sends out an email, right?
What's the message?
(17:36):
Can someone handle the testingfor the new features?
I need it done soon.
Period Right?
Let's talk about the vaguenessof this.
John doesn't specify whataspects of testing are important
.
We don't know.
Perhaps there were previousphases of testing.
We don't know if we need tolook at that or if we just start
(17:57):
at what was most recent.
We don't know what criteria tolook for.
And need it done soon.
There isn't a deadline forcompletion.
So what happens then?
Team members aren't sure, right?
They're uncertain about what'srequired and you're likely to
overwhelm them with thisambiguity.
Some focus on usability whereothers concentrate on
(18:22):
performance, and this results ininconsistent feedback.
Without clear guidelines, thetesting leads to
misunderstandings, it can leadto delays in the project
timeline, ultimately impactingthe quality of the final product
.
So that was stressful to eventalk about.
I know that unfortunately,that's something that happens
(18:43):
pretty often in industry, acrossindustries, not just IT.
We're not just picking on Johnsand IT out there.
Many, many managers do this andit's not because you're a bad
manager.
It is a hard job and you arestretched thin.
So we know that that happens alot.
But instead let's shift to focuson effective delegation.
(19:05):
So we're going to take Sarah, aproject manager in a marketing
firm, and Sarah is leading a newproduct launch and she needs
some help with the marketresearch.
So the style let's talk abouthow Sarah does this.
Sarah calls a team meeting todiscuss the project and she
outlines the specific objectivesfor the market research task.
(19:27):
So what Sarah says is objective.
I need a comprehensive analysisof our target audience's
preferences for this new product.
It needs to include demographicdata.
Two consumer behavior, andthree it needs to include
demographic data.
Two consumer behavior.
And three, a comparison withcompetitors.
Right.
So we already see very, veryclear objective here the
(19:49):
deliverables.
Sarah goes on, tells her teams Ineed a detailed report with
these findings, including graphsand charts to illustrate the
data, by next Friday.
So now we know, after we'vedone this work, how it should be
presented.
We know that it shouldn't onlybe text-based, because our
manager, sarah, she's lookingfor graphs and charts.
(20:09):
She wants to illustrate thisdata.
We also have a firm deadline.
Sarah doesn't stop there, though.
With the objective and thedeliverable right, what to do
and what she expects.
She also brings in support.
Feel free to use any resourcesyou need.
I'm available for questions onTuesday and Thursday afternoons.
(20:30):
I can provide any additionalguidance that you need.
So what is the outcome of thissituation, of this particular
approach to delegation?
Sarah's team members understandexactly what is expected of
them, likely feel empowered totake ownership of the work and
utilize the time Sarah allocatedfor questions effectively.
(20:52):
As a result, they're likely tohave a solid market research
report that is delivered on time, with thoughtful insights that
can contribute to the successfulproduct launch.
So what do we see here?
In this second scenario, sarahhad clear objectives and strong
support framework that helped tofacilitate effective
(21:15):
performance and clear outcomes.
If we go back to number one, toJohn and IT and again we're not
picking on John here, and I knowthis happens a lot but when we
are ambiguous, when we say, hey,this testing needs to be done
soon, that leads to confusion.
It can lead to ineffectiveresults in suboptimal outcomes.
(21:39):
Right, so someone is likely tofinally take the lead on this in
John's team, but what theydeliver to him or the testing
that takes place is not likelyto match what he had in his mind
because he didn't communicateit clearly.
Clear and specific delegationcan empower teams, but when we
(22:01):
lob these vague instructions, itcan lead to misalignment and a
lot of frustration.
So what are some other bestpractices for empowerment and
delegation?
One, my friends, I want you tothink about the right person.
Think about their skills andtheir interests.
We got to make sure we arematching the task within
(22:23):
individual skills, theirstrengths and their career
aspirations, because this, inturn, it increases engagement.
They're excited, this is theirarea and likely the success.
And I also want you to thinkabout workload.
Take into account the workloadof team members to avoid
overburdening anyone.
This seems incredibly obvious.
(22:46):
Right these two suggestions theright person, the skills and
the workload.
But what often happens is thatmanagers tend to approach those
that they either one know willimmediately say yes, regardless
of interests or workload, andtwo managers tend to approach
their couple of go-to people.
(23:08):
Why do managers do this?
Well, avoiding approachingthose they fear are going to say
no or will otherwise push back.
But you know what my friends,my managers, my titled leaders
handling pushback is part of thegig, unfortunately.
Not saying it's easy, I'm notsaying it's comfortable, but it
(23:28):
is also an opportunity to showyour team that work is
distributed as equitably aspossible.
Else, do we get employees onboard?
Well, give them some context,help them to see the bigger
picture.
So, not only help them see it,but explain that bigger picture.
Show them how this particulartask or this particular ask fits
(23:54):
into the team's and theorganization's objectives.
This helps to motivate teammembers and it gives us a sense
of ownership.
We tend to feel good when it'snot just this one-off that John
or Sarah needs, but rather, oh,this is helping us get closer to
that goal that we've alwaysbeen talking about.
So we're going to explain thebigger picture.
(24:16):
I also want you to think aboutproviding any context that you
can, whether this is necessary,background information, previous
work related to the task,anything that's going to help to
up your employees'understanding.
Anything that helps them to seehow this project aligns with
their interests or their skills.
(24:36):
Another thing that helps tofacilitate engagement and
motivation.
Another thing that helps tofacilitate engagement and
motivation.
What else?
Communicate clearly.
You know this is near and dearto my heart, my friends, but we
need to provide the clear andconcise instructions and we need
(24:57):
to, you know, make space forquestions and for feedback.
Ensure that everyoneunderstands the responsibilities
.
What else I want you my titleleaders out there, I want you to
adapt your communication stylebased on the employee's
preferences.
Is this an employee who lovesface-to-face conversations?
Hey, try your best to make ithappen.
(25:18):
Or is this someone who just putthe email in my inbox?
I will get to it reallyefficiently.
I'll ask you questions if Ineed it, then do that, even if
you would prefer a phone call orface-to-face.
Maybe it's a messaging app and,of course, if you delegate that
project, you pick the rightperson, you communicate clearly,
you set objectives.
(25:39):
You empower them then by givingthem autonomy.
Give them the space to work myfriends and give them support.
Handing things off can be reallyscary and it can be really
challenging, especially for thetype A's.
I'm one of them, so I can saythis for our type A's out there,
this can be really hard, but weneed to give our team members
(26:02):
the authority to make decisionsrelated to that delegated task.
We have to trust them becauseyou know what.
We picked the right person, wethought about their strengths,
we thought about their skills,we considered workloads so
they're not already overburdened.
We have given clearinstructions, we have given
everything that they need to besuccessful.
(26:24):
Now we need to get out of theirway and allow them to do that
so we might think that that'sdone.
We might think, okay, we havedone it, I have delegated
effectively.
I was just kind of washing myhands of it.
That's what you heard, butwe're not quite done.
I want you to lean into twoadditional steps in this
(26:45):
delegation process.
I want you to acknowledgeefforts and results We'll look
at that more in a second and Iwant you to reflect and learn.
So one going back to thatacknowledging effort and results
you need to acknowledge theeffort of that team member or
team members.
You need to praise thoseaccomplishments.
(27:07):
We are going to celebratesuccesses, both big and small,
and this is going to, in turn,promote that positive team
culture where employees feelengaged, where they feel
celebrated, where they feel seen.
We're not just going to stop atrecognition, though.
This is also an opportunity toprovide feedback, and I want you
to think about this asconstructive feedback.
(27:28):
So maybe something didn't goquite well, or maybe an employee
missed a step, and that'sreally frustrating, but we are
going to think about what wentwell, right, what are the areas
where they really shined.
But we're also because, again,we're their titled manager, we
are invested in theirprofessional developments.
We're going to give them someconstructive feedback for areas
(27:50):
for improvement.
And after we do that, it's timefor us to kind of close this
delegation loop by reflecting onthe process.
First, there's an element ofevaluation, right, when this
project or task is done whatwent well, what could have been
improved?
(28:11):
Regarding the delegationprocess, we're going to use
those insights to be even betterin the future.
So maybe we thought ourinstructions were crystal clear,
but when our team memberbrought us this document, we
realized, oops, I forgot to tellyou that, or I overlooked that,
or I was making the assumptionthat.
(28:31):
So, whatever it is, we're goingto jot this down so that we are
more mindful, more intentionalin the future.
When we follow these bestpractices, my friends, you can
effectively delegate your tasks,promote team development and
you're going to achieve muchbetter overall performance in
(28:52):
your group and your organization.
And this is leading us to ourfinal segment of the episode.
Another way to break free of themyth of the solo leader is I
want you to think about buildinga strong support network.
This means surrounding yourselfwith people who can offer
guidance, advice andencouragement.
So what are some of thebenefits of having a strong
(29:14):
support network, especially ifyou're a title leader?
Well, for one thing, it reallyhelps to prevent against burnout
.
When we know that people haveour back, we can take breaks and
we can recharge.
Building a support network, inmy opinion, is essential to
every single role, again for mytitled leaders, but also for our
(29:36):
employees who are brand new,and everyone in between.
But here's a caveat Building asupport network, this isn't
something we can put on our listand accomplish in an afternoon.
This is something that takestime and intention.
Why?
Well, trusting relationships?
These don't happen overnight.
In the field of communication.
(29:57):
We think about relationshipdevelopment like peeling back an
onion the more time we spendwith someone, the more we begin
to trust them, the more we peelback and share our true selves,
kind of getting to our core, tothe center, our most vulnerable
spaces.
One of the questions I feelmost often in this role is how
(30:19):
to start to build theserelationships.
As an adult and sometimes thisyou know, when people ask me
this, they feel embarrassed orthey feel like they're you know
they've missed something Becauseall of a sudden, when we're
kids it's so funny to watch kidsthey'll run up to someone on a
playground they've never seenthem before and then they're
(30:39):
best friends.
And with adults it takes us alittle bit longer, and that's
okay.
So we're going to talk aboutsome of these steps, some easy
steps that we can take tobolster our network.
We're also enhancing our accessto support.
So one, I want you to beauthentic, I want you to make
that commitment, and thisdoesn't mean that every thought
(31:00):
we have has to come out.
It doesn't mean that all of ourquirks have to be on display at
all times, especially whenwe're a title leader, but people
can tell when we are putting upa front or we're otherwise.
Not leaning into who we reallyare Doesn't mean oversharing, it
doesn't mean sidesteppingorganizational or professional
expectations, but it does meannot presenting as a robot.
(31:24):
So we can do that.
We can share some challenges,we can share some uncertainties,
with our help to help teammembers feel comfortable in
doing the same.
This can foster a culture ofopenness and honesty.
And again, my friends, I am nottalking about your deepest
fears or secrets, nope, butwe're talking about, you know,
if it's a time when we'refeeling really overwhelmed,
(31:46):
overworked, or we're feelingoverwhelmed, just expressing
that to our team and like, wow,this has been a really busy,
busy time, I feel like it's beena bumpy ride.
Things like that can allow themto share how they feel and to
recognize that we're not tryingto, you know, be perfect,
(32:07):
because we know perfect doesn'texist.
We're engaging them indiscussion and cultivating again
that culture of openness.
I also want you to invest inrelationships.
So, with your team members,this can be regular check-ins.
So when we have theseone-on-ones or even informal
(32:30):
catch-ups, maybe once a month wehave a team lunch.
This can go a long way inbuilding rapport and helping us
to understand each other, ourstrengths, these challenges,
these aspirations, our strengths, these challenges, these
aspirations.
When we know someone as aperson rather than this, like
(32:51):
what we see on the surface, islike a frustrating person who's
always criticizing my work orgiving me feedback then all of a
sudden becomes a lot easier tosee them as someone who's
invested in me and myperformance, and that's why
they're taking the time to giveme feedback.
I also want you to encouragecollaboration, so creating
opportunities for team membersto work together on projects or
(33:12):
initiatives.
This allows everyone toleverage their own strengths, to
showcase their strengths andalso thinking about knowledge
sharing in that same breath.
So, whether it is at thesemonthly luncheons, you have one
employee share a new insight andexperience, a resource or
strength you know, or you raiseup as the title leader, you
(33:35):
raise up someone's work orproject every month to showcase,
you know, people who are reallyshining.
That goes a long way intransforming the culture of the
team.
And, finally, leading by example.
I know that's something youhear a lot on the communicative
leader, whether it is from me orfrom our many amazing guests.
(33:57):
But when we lead by example, wedemonstrate trust, we empower
others and that leads to a safeenvironment.
So when we are consistent inour actions and words, we follow
through on our commitments andteam members, they know what to
expect.
One of the worst bosses to haveis not one who is rude or who
(34:25):
micromanages, but rather it'sone who is inconsistent.
So when we are consistent inour actions and words, when we
are embodying that, leading fromthat, that is what we are
modeling.
Again, that goes a long way increating a safe space for our
team to feel like they can bethemselves, that they don't have
(34:45):
to worry about what we're goingto say or do, what type of
manager is showing up that day.
They're in a place to do theirwork.
As we've talked about, we wantto delegate responsibilities,
encourage team members to takeownership.
It shows them that we trustthem and this leads to stronger
mutual trust, to a strongerrelationship, to building that
(35:07):
foundation and, again, all ofthis leads to a supportive and
safe culture.
We want to encourage thatatmosphere where team members
feel safe expressing ideas.
This can be dissenting, or wewant them to feel secure enough
to say, hey, leader, wait oneminute.
What about this?
We want them to feel secureenough to say, hey, leader, wait
one minute.
What about this?
We want them to be able toraise concerns.
(35:29):
We want them to share opinionswithout the fear of judgment,
because, while it's no one likeshaving their idea questioned or
perhaps criticized, but if itmeans that all of a sudden, we
didn't take our project off acliff two months later, right,
that is important.
(35:49):
These things are essential tonot only building relationships,
but to doing high quality work.
I also want you to think aboutbuilding relationships and
expanding your network outsideof your immediate team and your
immediate workplace.
Why?
Whole bunch of reasons Outsideperspective, learning what
(36:11):
others do in terms of bestpractices, having independent
and less biased counsel.
Here you can think aboutprofessional societies,
conferences, additional trainingopportunities.
So we have tackled a lot today,my friends, but I want you to
remember that the solo leader isjust a myth and that you don't
(36:34):
have to do it all on your own.
By delegating effectively,building a strong support
network and surrounding yourselfwith talented team members, you
can achieve your goals withoutburning out.
All right, my friends, thatwraps up our conversation today.
Until next time, communicatewith intention and lead with
(36:55):
purpose.
I'm looking forward to chattingwith you again soon on the
Communicative leader.
Welcome to the Communicative Leader.
I'm Dr Leah Om Hodges, alsoknown as Dr L.
Today, we're talking about acommon myth that many leaders
struggle with the idea that theyhave to do it all on their own.
In today's episode, we willunpack and, more importantly,
debunk the myth of the sololeader.
We're gonna look at the powerof collaboration and delegation.
(00:22):
We're gonna end by chattingabout the importance of having a
strong support network.
Let's have some fun.
Hello and welcome to theCommunicative Leader hosted by
me, D Leah O'Millian Hodges.
My friends call me Dr O.
I'm a professor ofcommunication and a leadership
communication expert.
(00:44):
On the Communicative Leader,we're working to make your work
life what you want it to be.
So let's talk about the myth ofthe solo leader.
Many of our titled leaderstruly believe that they're the
only ones who can get the jobdone.
They think they're the onlyones who understand what needs
to be done and that no one elsecan possibly help them.
(01:07):
You're expected to be asuperhero with the ability to
tackle any challenge that comesyour way, with or without help
or support from others.
This is a myth, my friends, andthis myth is one that can be
toxic.
It leads to burnout, toexhaustion and a sense of
isolation.
What else Mistakes?
(01:29):
When we are on overload all ofthe time, we tend to make
mistakes, and pretty silly ones.
And what happens right when wehave mistakes, especially when
they're fairly frequently?
What does that do to ourcredibility?
Well, steadily chips away at it.
In reality, leaders who try todo everything on their own often
(01:52):
end up again burning out,making silly errors and
struggling to achieve theirgoals.
In fact, research has shown thatleaders who prioritize
self-reliance and independenceare more likely to experience
burnout and turnover than ourtitle leaders who prioritize and
embrace collaboration andteamwork.
(02:14):
And, my friends, if you arelistening and you're nodding
along, you're not alone.
We all do this.
We are all guilty of this fromtime to time, regardless of our
title or our position.
The extra challenge for ourfriends in title leadership
positions, though, is you areunder a lot of scrutiny, you're
(02:34):
on the hook for things when itdoesn't turn out as planned, and
you're typically seen as anextension of the organization
itself.
So the pressure can reallymount if you're not
intentionally integratingstrategies for self-care,
collaboration and support.
So let's check out somestatistics.
A study by Gallup found that50% of employees in leadership
(02:57):
positions reported feelingburned out at work, with 60% of
the sample feeling overwhelmedby their workload.
The Harvard Business Review dida study and they found that
leaders who prioritizeself-reliance are 25% more
likely to experience burnoutthan those who embrace
collaboration.
(03:18):
Finally, a study by McKinseyfound that companies with high
levels of collaboration andteamwork are 20% more likely to
achieve their goals than thosethat have lower levels of
collaboration.
We've also seen this play out insome of the most notable
contemporary business leaders.
So let's look at Jack Welsh.
(03:39):
He was with GE.
He is often lauded for hisleadership at General Electric,
but he faced criticism for hisheavy-handed approach in his
early years.
His belief that he had topersonally oversee many aspects
of the business led to anunsustainable pace and an
overstretched leadership team.
(04:00):
But over time, welsh learned todelegate more effectively.
He recognized the value inempowering his executives and my
friends.
This turned to delegating andempowering, and this is why
Welsh is so widely seen as oneof the greats.
Now, another resoundinglypositive example of a leader who
(04:21):
made the shift from the greatleader myth is Indra Nooyi, who
was formerly the CEO at PepsiCo.
Well, nooyi is celebrated fortransforming Pepsi.
She initially struggled tobalance her visionary ideas with
the operational realities ofthe company.
She realized that by trying tocontrol too many details, she
(04:43):
was limiting her owneffectiveness as a leader.
Eventually, she focused onempowering her team to take
ownership of these variousinitiatives, and that led to
much more sustainable growth.
And while these are positiveexamples that demonstrate the
strength of self-reflection anda shift towards collaboration,
we can also look at examplesthat were never able to right
(05:06):
the ship to get on a sounder,more sustainable path.
On the complete other end ofthings, elizabeth Holmes Holmes
initially took on too many roleswithin her company, believing
she could single-handedlyrevolutionize healthcare with
her technology.
Her reluctance to seek outsideexpertise or build a strong,
(05:27):
diverse leadership team and, ofcourse, among other very
questionable and unethicalpractices, has ultimately
contributed to the company'sdramatic failure and legal
troubles.
And, my friends, I've seen thismyth play out firsthand in my
own career.
When I became a brand newtenure track assistant professor
(05:48):
many years ago, I said yes toeverything and I tried to do
everything on my own.
I felt like I needed to provemyself, and often this meant
that I was doing way too much,taking on much more in service
and teaching committee work thanmy fair share and feeling like
I had to do it all on my own.
(06:09):
But it became clear very, veryquick like first semester, a
month in two months in that thisapproach was unsustainable and,
perhaps more importantly, itwas ridiculously ineffective.
This mismanaged approach towork was not I repeat, was not
getting me to where I wanted tobe.
(06:30):
I was working long hours, I wasmaking mistakes, I was isolated
, I was overwhelmed and I wasn'teven successful.
So you add that all up and yourealize something is really out
of balance here.
So what else?
In this time, this approach wasdamaging to my nearest and
dearest relationships because Iwas continually prioritizing
(06:54):
work over everything else,including family and friends.
I also realized that alwayssaying yes, especially when I
was new, meant that was likelythe lens I would be seen in
indefinitely.
And don't get me wrong, I amall for teamwork, working
collaboratively, pulling myweight, but that is
(07:16):
qualitatively different thanbeing the person who always
raises her hand for every needand always offers to shoulder
the majority of the weight ofthe role.
There was this one day Iremember I was walking out of my
building, I was walking to theparking lot.
It was a super long day andeven longer few months, and I
(07:38):
realized that everyone importantin my life was angry at me.
Maybe angry is not the word,but maybe, like peeved, they
were annoyed.
I was walking out and I wasthinking about how obnoxious it
was that my partner was mad atme, or my sister was frustrated,
or my best friend or my mom,and then it finally dawned on me
(08:00):
I was the only commondenominator here.
What I was doing at work,trying to be all things to
everyone, left me incapable ofshowing up for those who
mattered most.
And that wasn't it.
If we're being honest, I wasn'tshowing up as my best self for
my students or my colleagues,because I was stretched too thin
(08:22):
.
It wasn't until I learned tobuild a strong support network,
volunteer my time strategicallyand delegate.
When I started to see thingsactually shift and actually
change for the better, my sistergave me a book about setting
better boundaries.
I took time to write out goals,and this is something I still
(08:44):
do.
My friends, at the beginning ofevery semester, I have semester
goals and academic school yeargoals, and when I had these
goals set and when I had, youknow, thoughtful, healthy
boundaries, these are the plansthat made it possible for me to
achieve my goals.
That made it possible for me toachieve my goals.
(09:04):
What else?
As a result, I became moreproductive, I was more motivated
, I was more engaged.
What else?
I was so much happier, I gotsleep.
People weren't mad at me allthe time because I was able to
show up for them.
So the moral of the story here,my friends, is there are true
(09:26):
consequences to that myth of thesolo leader.
When leaders, or just employees, when anyone tries to do
everything on their own, theseconsequences can be severe.
And again, burnout is just oneexample, but it's not the only
one.
So if you are a titled leaderand you tend to prioritize doing
(09:46):
it on your own or thatself-reliance over a more
collaborative approach, againyou might miss opportunities by
not seeking input from others.
Again, if we are notintegrating innovation or new
perspectives that could lead tobetter outcomes, that's not
going to reflect well on us.
(10:07):
We can also struggle withaccountability.
When leaders do everything ontheir own, they might struggle
to actually get it done.
And then to raise your hand andsay, yes, that was my mistake,
or my failure, my shortcoming,because again you're stretched
too thin.
Coming Because again you'restretched too thin.
(10:29):
So it is time let's kick thismyth to the curb.
We have got to stop believingin the myth of the solo leader.
Instead, I want you to focus onbuilding strong networks,
engineering your team and yourworkplace for employee
empowerment and leaning intodelegation, and we're going to
talk about how to do all of thisin these next few segments.
But when we do this, we canachieve our goals without the
(10:52):
burnout and we can become evenbetter leaders and teammates and
partners in the process.
It's not just about gettingthings done quickly or
efficiently.
It's about building trust andrelationships with those we work
with.
When we involve others indecision-making, we build trust
(11:12):
and foster a sense of ownershipacross our team.
Guess what else?
My friends and I really lovethis one when you lean into
collaboration and cultivating anenvironment of empowerment.
This speaks directly to Gen Z'sleadership preferences.
We know that Gen Z is startingto storm into industry,
(11:36):
embracing full-time work, comingof age, and with Gen Z, we need
to be mindful that they reallyprefer and embrace leaders who
embody self-awareness right, notburning yourself out, burning
the candle at both ends and notgetting anything done.
They also embrace leaders whocan engage in self-management,
(12:01):
social awareness, management,social awareness and the ability
to manage relationships.
It is time we improve atreading the room and show our
youngest of employees that we'reaware of their preferences.
But, more importantly, werecognize the importance of
showing up as a title leader, ofrole modeling and engaging in
(12:22):
the workplace that way.
So how can leaders break freefrom this myth and start
embracing their team members andnot just working with them, but
really raising them up andrelying on them in important
ways?
One of the easiest ways to dothis is to delegate effectively.
You know, this isn't justtossing a assignment at someone
(12:46):
or forwarding an email with noexplanation.
This means giving clearinstructions, providing
resources and support and thentrusting and this can be the
hardest one, my friends trustingyour team member to take
ownership of the task, of thetask.
(13:08):
It's also not just aboutdelegating.
It's about empowering teammembers, your colleagues, to
make decisions, to takecalculated risks.
When leaders give their teammembers autonomy, we are also
building competence andmotivation.
What else Research shows us overand over and over?
We're going to look at some ofthis in a minute, and this makes
me really excited.
But the research supports thatour leaders who are prioritizing
(13:31):
collaboration and empowerment.
You have so many positive workoutcomes, my friends.
We're going to touch on just afew of these key statistics.
So employee engagement Galluptells us that companies with
highly engaged teams outperformtheir competitors by 147% in
(13:52):
earnings per share.
Right, 147% in earnings pershare.
I mean, that is just off thecharts.
You can't even make sense ofthat number.
So empowering leaders whoencourage collaboration it
fosters high levels ofengagement because people feel
seen, they are excited, theytend to be more motivated in
(14:14):
their work because they knowthat you trust them and they
have the confidence to beinnovative.
Not just engagement, butproductivity also.
Source we see that a study fromHarvard Business Review that
teams that have collaborativeworking environments are five
times more likely to be highperforming.
(14:36):
So we have this empowered team.
They're more likely to beengaged, they're more likely to
be innovative and productive aswell.
So not only do we have thisemployee engagement, not only do
we have five times higherproductivity which these numbers
just insane but I want to talkto you about retention as well.
So research by Deloitte itshows us that organizations with
(15:00):
high levels of employeeengagement see 50% lower
turnover rates.
What does this mean, my friends?
When leaders empower theirteams, employees feel more
valued and they're less likelyto leave the organization.
Retention is really expensive.
It is financially expensive toorganizations, is really
(15:25):
expensive.
It is financially expensive toorganizations.
It takes up so much time interms of new onboarding and
getting new employees up tospeed.
We know that employees leavewith a whole wealth of
organizational knowledge.
Retaining employees, especiallyretaining good employees that
is gold.
These statistics suggest astrong correlation between
leadership styles that emphasizecollaboration and empowerment
(15:47):
and so many positive outcomes,including satisfaction,
productivity and overallorganizational performance.
So we know that the ability todelegate well and collaborate
with your team leads to a wealthof important work outcomes.
So what are those best practices?
So how do I delegate well andhow do I collaborate Well?
(16:09):
That's what we're going to lookat when we delegate effectively
.
Again, this is a crucial skillfor leaders, for managers,
because it allows you tooptimize your time while also
developing your team andachieving organizational goals
more effectively.
Here are some best practices.
(16:30):
So one I want you to thinkabout clear objectives.
Define that task.
Like I said earlier, this isnot just saying like, hey, I
need help on the Smith project,or forwarding an email with no
explanation.
You need to clearly outlinewhat needs to be done and what
are the expected outcomes.
When you do this, then all of asudden we're much more likely
(16:54):
to see success and to see youremployee you know actually
produce what you had in yourmind than if we just again kind
of throw it to them like a hotpotato and expect them to figure
it out.
So I want to look at twoexamples together.
So first we're going to look atthe less effective delegation.
(17:15):
So we have a manager.
We're going to call him John.
He's a team leader in an ITdepartment.
So John is working on asoftware development project and
he decides to delegate the taskof testing the new feature to
the team members.
The delegation style.
What does John do?
Sends out an email, right?
What's the message?
(17:36):
Can someone handle the testingfor the new features?
I need it done soon.
Period Right?
Let's talk about the vaguenessof this.
John doesn't specify whataspects of testing are important
.
We don't know.
Perhaps there were previousphases of testing.
We don't know if we need tolook at that or if we just start
(17:57):
at what was most recent.
We don't know what criteria tolook for.
And need it done soon.
There isn't a deadline forcompletion.
So what happens then?
Team members aren't sure, right?
They're uncertain about what'srequired and you're likely to
overwhelm them with thisambiguity.
Some focus on usability whereothers concentrate on
(18:22):
performance, and this results ininconsistent feedback.
Without clear guidelines, thetesting leads to
misunderstandings, it can leadto delays in the project
timeline, ultimately impactingthe quality of the final product
.
So that was stressful to eventalk about.
I know that unfortunately,that's something that happens
(18:43):
pretty often in industry, acrossindustries, not just IT.
We're not just picking on Johnsand IT out there.
Many, many managers do this andit's not because you're a bad
manager.
It is a hard job and you arestretched thin.
So we know that that happens alot.
But instead let's shift to focuson effective delegation.
(19:05):
So we're going to take Sarah, aproject manager in a marketing
firm, and Sarah is leading a newproduct launch and she needs
some help with the marketresearch.
So the style let's talk abouthow Sarah does this.
Sarah calls a team meeting todiscuss the project and she
outlines the specific objectivesfor the market research task.
(19:27):
So what Sarah says is objective.
I need a comprehensive analysisof our target audience's
preferences for this new product.
It needs to include demographicdata.
Two consumer behavior, andthree it needs to include
demographic data.
Two consumer behavior.
And three, a comparison withcompetitors.
Right.
So we already see very, veryclear objective here the
(19:49):
deliverables.
Sarah goes on, tells her teams Ineed a detailed report with
these findings, including graphsand charts to illustrate the
data, by next Friday.
So now we know, after we'vedone this work, how it should be
presented.
We know that it shouldn't onlybe text-based, because our
manager, sarah, she's lookingfor graphs and charts.
(20:09):
She wants to illustrate thisdata.
We also have a firm deadline.
Sarah doesn't stop there, though.
With the objective and thedeliverable right, what to do
and what she expects.
She also brings in support.
Feel free to use any resourcesyou need.
I'm available for questions onTuesday and Thursday afternoons.
(20:30):
I can provide any additionalguidance that you need.
So what is the outcome of thissituation, of this particular
approach to delegation?
Sarah's team members understandexactly what is expected of
them, likely feel empowered totake ownership of the work and
utilize the time Sarah allocatedfor questions effectively.
(20:52):
As a result, they're likely tohave a solid market research
report that is delivered on time, with thoughtful insights that
can contribute to the successfulproduct launch.
So what do we see here?
In this second scenario, sarahhad clear objectives and strong
support framework that helped tofacilitate effective
(21:15):
performance and clear outcomes.
If we go back to number one, toJohn and IT and again we're not
picking on John here, and I knowthis happens a lot but when we
are ambiguous, when we say, hey,this testing needs to be done
soon, that leads to confusion.
It can lead to ineffectiveresults in suboptimal outcomes.
(21:39):
Right, so someone is likely tofinally take the lead on this in
John's team, but what theydeliver to him or the testing
that takes place is not likelyto match what he had in his mind
because he didn't communicateit clearly.
Clear and specific delegationcan empower teams, but when we
(22:01):
lob these vague instructions, itcan lead to misalignment and a
lot of frustration.
So what are some other bestpractices for empowerment and
delegation?
One, my friends, I want you tothink about the right person.
Think about their skills andtheir interests.
We got to make sure we arematching the task within
(22:23):
individual skills, theirstrengths and their career
aspirations, because this, inturn, it increases engagement.
They're excited, this is theirarea and likely the success.
And I also want you to thinkabout workload.
Take into account the workloadof team members to avoid
overburdening anyone.
This seems incredibly obvious.
(22:46):
Right these two suggestions theright person, the skills and
the workload.
But what often happens is thatmanagers tend to approach those
that they either one know willimmediately say yes, regardless
of interests or workload, andtwo managers tend to approach
their couple of go-to people.
(23:08):
Why do managers do this?
Well, avoiding approachingthose they fear are going to say
no or will otherwise push back.
But you know what my friends,my managers, my titled leaders
handling pushback is part of thegig, unfortunately.
Not saying it's easy, I'm notsaying it's comfortable, but it
(23:28):
is also an opportunity to showyour team that work is
distributed as equitably aspossible.
Else, do we get employees onboard?
Well, give them some context,help them to see the bigger
picture.
So, not only help them see it,but explain that bigger picture.
Show them how this particulartask or this particular ask fits
(23:54):
into the team's and theorganization's objectives.
This helps to motivate teammembers and it gives us a sense
of ownership.
We tend to feel good when it'snot just this one-off that John
or Sarah needs, but rather, oh,this is helping us get closer to
that goal that we've alwaysbeen talking about.
So we're going to explain thebigger picture.
(24:16):
I also want you to think aboutproviding any context that you
can, whether this is necessary,background information, previous
work related to the task,anything that's going to help to
up your employees'understanding.
Anything that helps them to seehow this project aligns with
their interests or their skills.
(24:36):
Another thing that helps tofacilitate engagement and
motivation.
Another thing that helps tofacilitate engagement and
motivation.
What else?
Communicate clearly.
You know this is near and dearto my heart, my friends, but we
need to provide the clear andconcise instructions and we need
(24:57):
to, you know, make space forquestions and for feedback.
Ensure that everyoneunderstands the responsibilities
.
What else I want you my titleleaders out there, I want you to
adapt your communication stylebased on the employee's
preferences.
Is this an employee who lovesface-to-face conversations?
Hey, try your best to make ithappen.
(25:18):
Or is this someone who just putthe email in my inbox?
I will get to it reallyefficiently.
I'll ask you questions if Ineed it, then do that, even if
you would prefer a phone call orface-to-face.
Maybe it's a messaging app and,of course, if you delegate that
project, you pick the rightperson, you communicate clearly,
you set objectives.
(25:39):
You empower them then by givingthem autonomy.
Give them the space to work myfriends and give them support.
Handing things off can be reallyscary and it can be really
challenging, especially for thetype A's.
I'm one of them, so I can saythis for our type A's out there,
this can be really hard, but weneed to give our team members
(26:02):
the authority to make decisionsrelated to that delegated task.
We have to trust them becauseyou know what.
We picked the right person, wethought about their strengths,
we thought about their skills,we considered workloads so
they're not already overburdened.
We have given clearinstructions, we have given
everything that they need to besuccessful.
(26:24):
Now we need to get out of theirway and allow them to do that
so we might think that that'sdone.
We might think, okay, we havedone it, I have delegated
effectively.
I was just kind of washing myhands of it.
That's what you heard, butwe're not quite done.
I want you to lean into twoadditional steps in this
(26:45):
delegation process.
I want you to acknowledgeefforts and results We'll look
at that more in a second and Iwant you to reflect and learn.
So one going back to thatacknowledging effort and results
you need to acknowledge theeffort of that team member or
team members.
You need to praise thoseaccomplishments.
(27:07):
We are going to celebratesuccesses, both big and small,
and this is going to, in turn,promote that positive team
culture where employees feelengaged, where they feel
celebrated, where they feel seen.
We're not just going to stop atrecognition, though.
This is also an opportunity toprovide feedback, and I want you
to think about this asconstructive feedback.
(27:28):
So maybe something didn't goquite well, or maybe an employee
missed a step, and that'sreally frustrating, but we are
going to think about what wentwell, right, what are the areas
where they really shined.
But we're also because, again,we're their titled manager, we
are invested in theirprofessional developments.
We're going to give them someconstructive feedback for areas
(27:50):
for improvement.
And after we do that, it's timefor us to kind of close this
delegation loop by reflecting onthe process.
First, there's an element ofevaluation, right, when this
project or task is done whatwent well, what could have been
improved?
(28:11):
Regarding the delegationprocess, we're going to use
those insights to be even betterin the future.
So maybe we thought ourinstructions were crystal clear,
but when our team memberbrought us this document, we
realized, oops, I forgot to tellyou that, or I overlooked that,
or I was making the assumptionthat.
(28:31):
So, whatever it is, we're goingto jot this down so that we are
more mindful, more intentionalin the future.
When we follow these bestpractices, my friends, you can
effectively delegate your tasks,promote team development and
you're going to achieve muchbetter overall performance in
(28:52):
your group and your organization.
And this is leading us to ourfinal segment of the episode.
Another way to break free of themyth of the solo leader is I
want you to think about buildinga strong support network.
This means surrounding yourselfwith people who can offer
guidance, advice andencouragement.
So what are some of thebenefits of having a strong
(29:14):
support network, especially ifyou're a title leader?
Well, for one thing, it reallyhelps to prevent against burnout
.
When we know that people haveour back, we can take breaks and
we can recharge.
Building a support network, inmy opinion, is essential to
every single role, again for mytitled leaders, but also for our
(29:36):
employees who are brand new,and everyone in between.
But here's a caveat Building asupport network, this isn't
something we can put on our listand accomplish in an afternoon.
This is something that takestime and intention.
Why?
Well, trusting relationships?
These don't happen overnight.
In the field of communication.
(29:57):
We think about relationshipdevelopment like peeling back an
onion the more time we spendwith someone, the more we begin
to trust them, the more we peelback and share our true selves,
kind of getting to our core, tothe center, our most vulnerable
spaces.
One of the questions I feelmost often in this role is how
(30:19):
to start to build theserelationships.
As an adult and sometimes thisyou know, when people ask me
this, they feel embarrassed orthey feel like they're you know
they've missed something Becauseall of a sudden, when we're
kids it's so funny to watch kidsthey'll run up to someone on a
playground they've never seenthem before and then they're
(30:39):
best friends.
And with adults it takes us alittle bit longer, and that's
okay.
So we're going to talk aboutsome of these steps, some easy
steps that we can take tobolster our network.
We're also enhancing our accessto support.
So one, I want you to beauthentic, I want you to make
that commitment, and thisdoesn't mean that every thought
(31:00):
we have has to come out.
It doesn't mean that all of ourquirks have to be on display at
all times, especially whenwe're a title leader, but people
can tell when we are putting upa front or we're otherwise.
Not leaning into who we reallyare Doesn't mean oversharing, it
doesn't mean sidesteppingorganizational or professional
expectations, but it does meannot presenting as a robot.
(31:24):
So we can do that.
We can share some challenges,we can share some uncertainties,
with our help to help teammembers feel comfortable in
doing the same.
This can foster a culture ofopenness and honesty.
And again, my friends, I am nottalking about your deepest
fears or secrets, nope, butwe're talking about, you know,
if it's a time when we'refeeling really overwhelmed,
(31:46):
overworked, or we're feelingoverwhelmed, just expressing
that to our team and like, wow,this has been a really busy,
busy time, I feel like it's beena bumpy ride.
Things like that can allow themto share how they feel and to
recognize that we're not tryingto, you know, be perfect,
(32:07):
because we know perfect doesn'texist.
We're engaging them indiscussion and cultivating again
that culture of openness.
I also want you to invest inrelationships.
So, with your team members,this can be regular check-ins.
So when we have theseone-on-ones or even informal
(32:30):
catch-ups, maybe once a month wehave a team lunch.
This can go a long way inbuilding rapport and helping us
to understand each other, ourstrengths, these challenges,
these aspirations, our strengths, these challenges, these
aspirations.
When we know someone as aperson rather than this, like
(32:51):
what we see on the surface, islike a frustrating person who's
always criticizing my work orgiving me feedback then all of a
sudden becomes a lot easier tosee them as someone who's
invested in me and myperformance, and that's why
they're taking the time to giveme feedback.
I also want you to encouragecollaboration, so creating
opportunities for team membersto work together on projects or
(33:12):
initiatives.
This allows everyone toleverage their own strengths, to
showcase their strengths andalso thinking about knowledge
sharing in that same breath.
So, whether it is at thesemonthly luncheons, you have one
employee share a new insight andexperience, a resource or
strength you know, or you raiseup as the title leader, you
(33:35):
raise up someone's work orproject every month to showcase,
you know, people who are reallyshining.
That goes a long way intransforming the culture of the
team.
And, finally, leading by example.
I know that's something youhear a lot on the communicative
leader, whether it is from me orfrom our many amazing guests.
(33:57):
But when we lead by example, wedemonstrate trust, we empower
others and that leads to a safeenvironment.
So when we are consistent inour actions and words, we follow
through on our commitments andteam members, they know what to
expect.
One of the worst bosses to haveis not one who is rude or who
(34:25):
micromanages, but rather it'sone who is inconsistent.
So when we are consistent inour actions and words, when we
are embodying that, leading fromthat, that is what we are
modeling.
Again, that goes a long way increating a safe space for our
team to feel like they can bethemselves, that they don't have
(34:45):
to worry about what we're goingto say or do, what type of
manager is showing up that day.
They're in a place to do theirwork.
As we've talked about, we wantto delegate responsibilities,
encourage team members to takeownership.
It shows them that we trustthem and this leads to stronger
mutual trust, to a strongerrelationship, to building that
(35:07):
foundation and, again, all ofthis leads to a supportive and
safe culture.
We want to encourage thatatmosphere where team members
feel safe expressing ideas.
This can be dissenting, or wewant them to feel secure enough
to say, hey, leader, wait oneminute.
What about this?
We want them to feel secureenough to say, hey, leader, wait
one minute.
What about this?
We want them to be able toraise concerns.
(35:29):
We want them to share opinionswithout the fear of judgment,
because, while it's no one likeshaving their idea questioned or
perhaps criticized, but if itmeans that all of a sudden, we
didn't take our project off acliff two months later, right,
that is important.
(35:49):
These things are essential tonot only building relationships,
but to doing high quality work.
I also want you to think aboutbuilding relationships and
expanding your network outsideof your immediate team and your
immediate workplace.
Why?
Whole bunch of reasons Outsideperspective, learning what
(36:11):
others do in terms of bestpractices, having independent
and less biased counsel.
Here you can think aboutprofessional societies,
conferences, additional trainingopportunities.
So we have tackled a lot today,my friends, but I want you to
remember that the solo leader isjust a myth and that you don't
(36:34):
have to do it all on your own.
By delegating effectively,building a strong support
network and surrounding yourselfwith talented team members, you
can achieve your goals withoutburning out.
All right, my friends, thatwraps up our conversation today.
Until next time, communicatewith intention and lead with
(36:55):
purpose.
I'm looking forward to chattingwith you again soon on the
Communicative leader.
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