I was new on a team one time and found myself partnering with a truly talented individual. Over time, she and I shared our thoughts on how the team had some inefficiencies. Soon after, I got curious and asked why she was not speaking up about the ineffectiveness. It turned out that she did not feel as though she could; she was never once asked for ideas and input, and additionally, her manager appeared to be very attached to the current process. Over time, this created a feeling for her that no one was interested in her opinion. Maybe you’ve felt that way before too? Perhaps you may have caused others to feel that way unintentionally?
Do you remember the last time you wanted to be controlled and monitored? Managing for results is an essential function, but managing by controlling can stifle creativity, the individual’s willingness to commit, and their drive to deliver exceptional results.
To lead is to focus on people first, mission always. Leaders who manage this way know that to deliver results, it’s about the people. Understanding their people’s motivation, heart (purpose and passion), and talent, they seek to drive a team’s motivation, knowing that at the end of the day, it’s a motivated team that accomplishes a mission.
At a basic level, people crave a sense of purpose and want to build trusting relationships; therefore, servant leaders focus on leading and inspiring. They know their responsibility is to take care of their people, and their people will then take care of the mission. When we lead, we should first engage the heart of those we’re leading, and then we can leverage the passions and talents of our people to get things done. This approach becomes empowering to all involved—our people deliver excellent outcomes, and the company thrives.
To quickly check and evaluate if you are managing or leading, download our free guide “Manager vs. Leader.” Join the Leader Momentum movement to learn more about servant leadership. Learn more at www.leader-momentum.com.
Controlling vs. Leading: Are You a Bottleneck?