Stepping Up
By STEVE COATS - Published
in Personal Excellence October 2001 |
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Have you ever listened to the coach or players
of a team that has just "won it all?" Whether it is victory
in the championship game, first place in a music competition or
a debate tournament, or winning a major sale, there are always some
very familiar remarks made about the achievement. There is talk
about the great teamwork, staying focused on the goal, the hard
work, and usually a reference or two about luck or getting some
good breaks. But listen closely and you will hear one other factor,
that is a cornerstone of winning teams. You will hear about how
at crucial times, certain people "stepped up" and played
beyond everyone's expectations. And getting people to step up their
level of contribution is one of the hallmarks of great leadership.
Mention the name Vince Lombardi, and even people
who don't care much about sports widely recognize his ability to
lift his players and teams to greatness. Perhaps because of its
visibility in our world today, there is an abundance of sports-related
examples of leaders bringing out great individual efforts from their
players.
But follow some of the greatest of the world class
symphony orchestras and you will find similar examples. The musicians
will often speak of how their individual conductor raises them up
to a new level of performance, and somehow brings out the very best
in the entire ensemble. An orchestra does not win world acclaim
simply by playing the music the same as everyone else. It requires
great performances inspired by great conductors.
It is relative easy to identify what stepping
up means in the previously mentioned situations, but what does it
mean in the workplace. It often means doing something important
that has never been tried before. It means tackling something headlong
that is difficult, uncomfortable or risky. It is about actively
standing up vs. idly standing by. It is about telling the truth
and challenging the way people think, instead of merely letting
poor decisions and poor performance rule the day. And it means never,
ever giving up, even when conventional wisdom and organizational
politics say you should.
As a leader, getting others to step up requires
a couple of things of you. First, you yourself must demonstrate
your willingness to step up to the hard work, and to increase your
own level of performance. Then, you have to create an environment
for your people to be able to do the same. Remember, it is through
your peoples' accomplishments that your legacy as a leader will
be determined.
Starting Point
The place to start is to be truthful with yourself about your
own actions. Therefore, to what extent do you:
- step up to new challenges vs. remaining comfortable
- appropriately push back, opposed to blindly
following unclear or nonsensical directives
- speak up when there is pressure to remain
silent
- confront disagreements
- stretch yourself
- push yourself to become better
Think about these! Do you find that you usually
say yes, even when no is the correct response? Do you frequently
agree publicly with someone higher, but uselessly complain about
his/her incompetence in the safety of a small group of close colleagues?
Are you able to look a poor performer right in the eye and without
sugarcoating, provide honest, candid feedback? Would your people
have evidence of two or three examples during the past few months,
where in fact you have stepped up in tough circumstances?
Stepping up is hard, even exhausting work. It
requires one to reach deep for the will and stamina needed to breakthrough
both the physical and mental obstacles that are blocking the path.
It is even harder when it involves relationships with people. Many
are willing to step up to work harder on tasks or activities by
putting in more hours, making more calls or producing more "quantity."
Less are as eager to step up to issues that might require confronting
or dealing with other people. And leadership is always about people
and the relationship you have together.
Impacting Others
Now be truthful with yourself about your leadership of others.
To what extent would your people say they feel supported and encouraged
to try new things beyond their proven capabilities, to push back
and speak up, to confront you or others, to stretch or push themselves?
Based on your behavior, would they say these actions are more likely
welcomed - or punished? You need to know.
You may be fortunate enough to have surrounded
yourself with people who are more naturally able to consistently
rise up. Congratulations! But do not count on that tendency to continue
forever. Most people, even those predisposed, need a compelling
reason to step up, and it is up to you as the leader to help people
discover and deeply believe in that compelling reason.
People, individually or in teams, do not achieve
extraordinary things because they have to; they achieve them because
they want to. They courageously step up and relentlessly drive themselves
because they are totally committed to the dream or goal they are
pursuing. Commitment provides the fuel to do a lot of things. It
is the seed for greatness.
Fostering Commitment
So the pertinent leadership question is, "how do you get
people more committed to, and thus more able to step up to the things
you are convinced should be done?" Here are some things you
might find useful to think about and act upon accordingly.
- Always remember that people must be inspired
to step up, not forced to. Extraordinary performance requires
passion and excitement, which just cannot be mandated or commanded.
Those can only be inspired. In what ways would your people say
you are inspiring them toward great accomplishments? Or might
they instead use other words to describe your approach with them
- like pushing, driving, cajoling, manipulating, perhaps even
humiliating them into stepping up.
- You must all be totally committed to the same
outcomes. That is a very important statement, so you might want
to read it again. It means the dream must be shared by all, not
just with all. You might be able to force people to listen to
your personal goals, and comply with your desires, but don't be
surprised when their best efforts are put forth on their own goals.
Make sure you are aligned and together.
- You must be willing to let go and give your
people more control. Everyone I have ever asked wants more control
over his or her own life - and so do your people. You cannot swing
the bat for them. People must step up in their own way, not in
your way, and they need a sense of control to do that. You must
have some faith in their ability to deliver.
- You need to build a strong relationship with
each person you are leading. People do not step up for complete
strangers, they step up for people about whom they care. If your
associates do not believe you care about them, they will likely
not go out of their way to stretch themselves for you. Let them
know you care - about each of them individually, as well as their
collective accomplishments as a team.
- Stepping up is an emotional issue, not an
intellectual one. People can rationalize all day the need to turn
it up a notch, but to be successful, it almost always requires
the unexplainable power of the heart. Are your people committed
enough emotionally to be able to perform beyond their wildest
dreams? If not, you need to help them find more ways to become
more deeply devoted.
- Your people need to be absolutely certain
that you are in the boat with them. I heard a manager tell his
people one time, "I will not let you fail." His actions
supported his words and the people felt more powerful, more equipped
to excel. Let your people know you are there for them.
People will step up for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes, it is because something needs to be done, and no one
else can or will take it on. But even more often, it is because
they do not want to let someone else down - like their teammates,
their boss, or more personally, their spouse or children. Never
underestimate the strong, perhaps inherent desire that many people
have to help others - those to whom they feel a strong attachment.
Give people the opportunity to rise up and make a difference for
others, and they will.
(Source: Personal Excellence October 2001)
Copyright 2001 International Leadership Associates
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