I was sitting at my desk preparing for the final session of a leadership mastermind with a group of people. We were in the final chapter of John Maxwell’s book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and reading the section on why people become complacent.
I am not going to go into all the details of the chapter in this post, but something did jump out in his explanation of why people become complacent he said:
“They lose their innovative spirit. They begin to think about being efficient instead of breaking ground.”
I read that and it hit me like a 2 x 4.
Before I made the jump into leadership development full-time, I was getting to a place in my former role that I was constantly hearing from others “be more efficient” and I was fairly efficient at what I did. This thought is not necessarily the mindset of a leader, but of a manager.
What do you mean? Doesn’t a leader want to be efficient?
Absolutely!
Let me make this simple.
Manage or Lead
When we manage, we are looking for effective and efficient processes and systems to do what we need to do with the least amount of effort.
When we lead we are inspiring and pointing toward a bigger picture. We are often providing the “why” and trying to tap into everyone’s personal desires to align them with where we are trying to get the group to go.
Let me illustrate. If I have a room of 100 individuals that I need on task such as in a gym class I must utilize both skills, but I could only manage if I want. I can set the rules of the game or activity such as a fitness routine and set a timer. Each person moves when the timer rings and everyone knows exactly what to do . . . kind of like controlled chaos.
In this situation the individuals may or may not be internally motivated.
Now if I also lead them I will set the intention for the day. I will try to paint a picture of why this workout will help them reach their personal goals. I am simply casting vision at this point. To truly inspire them I must slow down and connect with them. Now I am leading.
Leading Better
So how can we prevent complacency and lead others?
Get out of our comfort zone. Leadership requires energy and effort because we must connect. Leadership requires thinking creatively and for extended periods of time. Neither of these are easy or comfortable.
Get around different people. If we surround ourselves with people who think differently, then we will be stretched and challenged to grow. If you are a black and white thinker, get some creative people around you and vice-versa.
Try something new. Think of the first time you learned to do an activity. You weren’t thinking about how to perform the skill efficiently. You were focused on some level of success, so you didn’t look and feel foolish. You weren’t bored, maybe frustrated, not bored. You were growing and learning and excited and eventually as you persisted became effective and possibly even excelled at the skill. As a leader continue to try new things and grow.
Do you feel stuck? Which one of these three principles could help you to raise your leadership level and break new ground? If you need help thinking into your results contact me and I will gladly come alongside you in the process. In the meantime, lead well at work and home.
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