A buddy of mine introduced me to the phrase, “The speed of the leader, the speed of the team.” It represents the notion that leaders can sometimes slow the progress of their team, just like they can also help it move more quickly.
I’ve never wanted my teams to perform poorly. I’ve never signed up for that. But that hasn’t meant that I haven’t been a gating factor for them. Because I have.
When too many decisions require my input before others can get to work, I’ve got a problem.
When people don’t have enough context and need history from me before they can make good calls, I’ve got a problem.
When I’m the only one that knows how to do something, I’ve got a problem.
When I like control so much that I put myself into every workflow, I’ve got a problem.
What do I need to solve these problems?
I have to learn to delegate. Right? You too?
The more I do it, the more I free myself from having to be at the center of all things. It’s just like a muscle that I need to work out.
The other good news? The more I do it the more I show others how to do it.