I’m a recent yet enthusiastic fan of Patrick (Pat) Lencioni’s. He has a great way of sharing important and impactful ideas in everyday and applicable language.
The world and our current context is complex enough as it is so it’s refreshing to find a leadership guru who is down to earth and easy to follow.
He spends his time speaking and writing about leadership, teambuilding and organisational health. If you’re keen to hear him before you read his work check out his always on-point podcast.
The Motive is a leadership fable that illustrates two types of leadership motives:
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Reward-centred leadership- the belief that being a leader is the reward for hard work; therefore, the experience of being a leader should be pleasant and enjoyable, free to choose what they work on and avoid anything mundane, unpleasant or uncomfortable.
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Responsibility-centred leadership- the belief that being a leader is a responsibility; therefore, the experience of leading should be difficult and challenging (though certainly not without elements of personal gratification).
The leadership fable introduces us to two very different CEOs who spend a day together which leads to great insight and growth for both. No spoiler alerts however I will say that I saw myself in both of their styles.
Pat goes beyond the fable to answer the ‘so, what?’ There are five omissions of reward-centred leaders he highlights with helpful reflections and calls to action. Here are the five critical leadership practices reward-centred leaders are not taking seriously or dedicating enough time to:
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Developing their leadership teams- If you’re a leader who rolls your eyes at the phrase ‘team building’ then please stop and check your motive! Nothing will make the waka go faster than an aligned team who have a strong foundation built on trust, openness, and an understanding of their individual and collective strengths and weaknesses. Ten pin bowling is a fun team activity however spending time together in a room engaging in meaningful conversation is way more impactful. Using a tool like the Team Management Profile is a great way to start. (Email me if you want to learn more!)
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Managing direct reports- If you’re a manager you need to manage your people. If you’re a manager of managers you need to ensure they’re managing their people too. Get in amongst it and find out what they’re up to by asking great questions, offering direction and support. Pat says “trusting someone is not an excuse for not managing them.”
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Having difficult and uncomfortable conversations- Over my last 20 years in consulting ‘courageous conversations’ has been the most requested topic for ongoing development. It seems we all avoid the #awkward chats that need to take place. At risk of sounding like your granny, a stitch in time saves nine. If you’re letting poor behaviour slide it’s impacting on your people, your clients and your organisation’s culture. (Happy to talk to you about this further!)
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Running great team meetings- I’m going to quote Pat himself here “Meetings are the setting, the arena, the moment when the most important decisions take place. What could be more important?” Audit your meetings by asking are they as focused, relevant and intense as they could be. If not it’s time to start designing and facilitating your meetings differently. (Get in touch! I can help!)
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Communicating constantly and repetitively to employees- leaders have to be prepared to repeat themselves and remind their people of key messages that inform and align. Communicating effectively (and repeatedly) is an emotional and behavioural process more than a transactional and informational one. Aristotle says it best: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them what you tell them. Tell them what you told them.”
Check out The Motive for the fable, the anecdotes, reflections and, most importantly, what you can put into action!