When I was a kid, I would go to Atlanta Braves baseball games with my dad. At the beginning of the game, like all sporting events, they would sing The Star-Spangled Banner. For the longest time I thought when they said “the home of the brave” they were saying the home of the “Braves.” How easily we can misunderstand something.
There is much to be said about the bravery of those who fought for the freedom of this nation. A nation where we have the freedoms such as speech, religion, to petition the government, assemble, and press. A nation where someone can move from another country, start a business, and become extremely successful. A nation where multiple ways of thinking can coexist and in healthy environments create great solutions to complicated problems.
Much can be said about freedom. Allow me to add a few thoughts and how it applies to our leadership.
Allows Creativity
My wife is not too fond of heights. A couple weeks ago we visited the Grand Canyon and she was adamant about the boys staying a few feet back from the edge. If we were somewhere with rails up she was much less anxious and the boys had more freedom to move about.
As leaders when we set clear expectations on the outcome and limits of the project the people we lead experience more creative freedom. This clarity allows the leader freedom to think creatively into ways to grow and expand. It also allows those being led room to creatively execute on what has been asked.
Autonomy
Daniel Pink in the book Drive suggests a key motivators for all people is autonomy. This is the ability to create a space for people to do their best work. Think about when you were a teenager. If your parents always hovered over you, once you got on your own you went wild and possibly in unhealthy ways.
When the people we lead have freedom to use their strengths and skills they will thrive. This does not mean we abandon those we lead. We still need to be accessible and clear expectations, but not micro-manage every step. Pink found research highlighting those businesses that offered autonomy grew four times as much as control-oriented firms.1 Autonomy provides freedom from excessive control.
Tension
July 4th 1776 the founders of the United States of America declared independence and freedom from Great Britain. In the more than two hundred years since that day it has not been smooth sailing. There have been many ideological tensions and wars.
As a leader there will be a temptation to control especially under stress. This is where the tension of maintaining a culture of freedom exists. Leaders must balance appropriate controls and accountability with the freedom for people to excel in their unique ways.
I wish leadership was set it and forget it, but leadership involves people. Part of our nature is to have tension. Tension is not always bad. When this is embraced in a healthy environment the team can create great solutions that make a profound impact. There will be battles, but they do not have to destroy the culture. Embrace the tension as an opportunity to grow and lean into listening and asking questions as a leader.
I am grateful to live in a country where we have the freedoms we do. As a leader you can create a culture of healthy freedom or unhealthy control. How are you doing in each of these areas? Need help evaluating the culture you have created as a leader? Contact me to discover any way I can serve you or your team. Lead well.
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- Pink, Daniel. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books: 2009.
