Leadership certainly has its good days and also some more difficult days. Having the responsibility of leading and empowering a team is often filled with challenges.
I will say there are more good days than bad ones. But the more difficult days leave indelible impressions.
I was recently laboring over a meeting that looked as if could be very difficult. The meeting was with a team member that needed some guidance, correction and empowerment. We were also cognizant of the reality that this person was possibly in the wrong position.
On the surface, morale was low, production was certainly low, and the team was suffering in reaching deadlines and completing projects.
The meeting was scheduled. I was also not sure of the outcome. I had presupposed everything from the person quitting, possibly laying them off or assigning them to a different area of responsibility.
I decided that asking questions was my most effective strategy. During the questions, the person realized where I was headed and interrupted me with a startling response.
Here are the highlights.
1. Failure is not an option.
They simply asked to not be removed. They boldly stated, “I refuse to fail at this opportunity.”
2. Owned personal weakness and failure.
They acknowledged the failure to complete their assignments in a timely manner. They admitted they were experiencing total fear in submitting the necessary documents.
3. Acknowledged lack of performance.
They were humble in the reality that they were not performing at a level they were capable of.
4. Brought solutions to the table.
- They were prepared to give solutions to the major problems.
- They offered a specific time frame to turn it around.
- They were prepared to make necessary changes.
- They were willing to be accountable to a leader on a more regular basis.
5. Totally teachable.
They were open to suggestions and plans from the organization to better solve the problems. They did not suppose they had all the answers. They were prepared to be corrected and were very open to instruction in how to improve personal performance.
Needless to say, I was totally surprised and stunned by this outcome.
The end result is our team member has followed through well and is developing into a very productive member of our team.
As for you, I hope this post can be used to teach others, and shift a team member from possible failure to overcoming success.
Now, it’s your turn. Would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.
