Solve your leadershp puzzle
Imagine the quest for leadership success as an episode of Wheel of Fortune – there’s a puzzle put in front of you, with just a couple of clues on how to solve it.
You work your way though a lot of it on your own, but then you get stuck. You can’t do it by yourself any longer – you have to get some help.
“Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel – let’s try “E”
Vanna turns around 4 of them, and Pat declares “that letter is important – as a leader you must Engage your teammates”
Yes, you have to get your team involved in the brainstorming – you hired them because they were talented and smart, and possessed skills that you did not have. They will be able to see things differently than you, AND, they’ll be happy to have a “seat at the table” as you work through the puzzle. So you bring them in, and they give you excellent insights- but the puzzle still has some gaps. Time to get more help.
“Pat, I’d like to buy another vowel – how about “A”?
Vanna smiles and turns around two of them. “Ah yes ,a key letter“, Pat says. “You must know when to Approach Your Bosses”.
It’s not easy to step in front of your boss and talk about finding answers to your leadership puzzle – you may think it’s revealing weakness, or fear, or a lack of knowledge.
It’s really not, if you’ve done your homework and established trust and respect with your boss. The boss trusts that you wouldn’t come to him or her unless a few of the answers were things you had yet to experience or learn. You, in turn, respect your boss as a teacher – and as someone who probably has been around the block a few more times than you.
With trust and respect in place, you have a productive conversation with your boss.
The puzzle, however, is still not solved.
“Pat, I’d like to buy one more vowel – an “I
Solve your leadershp puzzleImagine the quest for leadership success as an episode of Wheel of Fortune – there’s a puzzle put in front of you, with just a couple of clues on how to solve it.
You work your way though a lot of it on your own, but then you get stuck. You can’t do it by yourself any longer – you have to get some help.
“Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel – let’s try “E”
Vanna turns around 4 of them, and Pat declares “that letter is important – as a leader you must Engage your teammates”
Yes, you have to get your team involved in the brainstorming – you hired them because they were talented and smart, and possessed skills that you did not have. They will be able to see things differently than you, AND, they’ll be happy to have a “seat at the table” as you work through the puzzle. So you bring them in, and they give you excellent insights- but the puzzle still has some gaps. Time to get more help.
“Pat, I’d like to buy another vowel – how about “A”?
Vanna smiles and turns around two of them. “Ah yes ,a key letter“, Pat says. “You must know when to Approach Your Bosses”.
It’s not easy to step in front of your boss and talk about finding answers to your leadership puzzle – you may think it’s revealing weakness, or fear, or a lack of knowledge.
It’s really not, if you’ve done your homework and established trust and respect with your boss. The boss trusts that you wouldn’t come to him or her unless a few of the answers were things you had yet to experience or learn. You, in turn, respect your boss as a teacher – and as someone who probably has been around the block a few more times than you.
With trust and respect in place, you have a productive conversation with your boss.
The puzzle, however, is still not solved.
“Pat, I’d like to buy one more vowel – an “I”
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