Like members of a once-popular band, leaders like to go “back to the basics” – hoping that their tried and true strategies and approaches will work one more time. The reality is that context matters in leadership. And to that end, leaders must constantly learn and constantly re-invent the approach they take with their teams and staff. In other words, what got you here won’t get you there.
There are two kinds of leaders out there. Isn’t that always the case? What I’m talking about is the leaders who have the best ideas and can help get you out of a jam when you need them, and the leaders who don’t have to because they’ve already equipped their teams.
I’ve often talked with folks about the most destructive leadership tool in their homes – which in my mind is the microwave. Mostly because it suggests to us that everything can happen quickly, and when it comes to leadership this just isn’t true. But when we’re talking about the most important leadership tool, I find that many people ignore or walk by it regularly without giving it the glance they ought to.
There is a tendency to shrink the goals of an organization to something attainable, so as not to demoralize the staff. The result of this kind of behavior, unfortunately, is the exact opposite of what was hoped for. The leaders leave and the folks that are left will need the goals lowered again. High performing organizations need to embrace stretch goals.