Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should
A former boss and mentor of mine used this line often. He was referring to the bravado a leader would display which only served him or herself. For instance, an Army leader might be able to maintain a 6-minute pace on a 3 mile run without breaking a sweat. While impressive, it doesn't mean the soldiers they commanded could do the same. A leader would lose a lot of people in humiliation leading a run at that pace. Furthermore, this approach would never achieve the true goal of helping an individual increase their running pace. That took gradual training. This was poor leadership.
This reasoning applies to leaders in business as well. Here are a few examples.
The workaholic. Some leaders have a tremendous amount of stamina and dedication. While impressive, this compulsive approach to work is not particularly healthy for an organization. They may work insane hours anchored to the office, messaging their people all hours of the day and weekend. Their people may feel obligated to check messaging apps or email frequently to keep pace. They may feel guilty leaving work as their leader continues to grind away. Moreover, the leader, immersed in their own busyness, may completely miss the needs of a person or department or social interaction which is where trust is formed. If work is your thing and you can play extra innings, do it from home and do not message your people outside of work hours. Apply your stamina across a balance of work, love and play. You'll be a more effective leader.
I'm really good at this task. Some leaders began their journey performing the task(s) their people now perform. Because of their desire to show off their aptitude or because of poor delegation ability, they may often perform the task themselves. While it is important for a leader to get their hands dirty from time to time, performing tasks themselves may take them away from the true demands of their position. Leaders ought to be more up and out versus down and in to serve their teams better. People may not feel obligated to complete tasks if they know their leader will just do it for them.
Our ego may drive us to do the things we are good at to show others our skills. There may also be a desire for comfort and order which comes from performing tasks we are confident performing. The key here is to pause and think, "I know I can do this, but should I?" "What effect am I trying to achieve or what outcome do I desire by doing what I'm about to do?"
It's fun and you're really good at it, but maybe you shouldn't...
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell