There is always plenty happening as the saying goes. However, we cannot tackle everything, and therefore must decide what are –
- The areas I control
- The areas which will have the most immediate impact on the business, and,
- The areas I need to keep improving as these will give my business long term sustainability
I read this article recently, and I thought it is worth including today.
Daniel Goleman talks about mindset and how as a business manager/leader we can get consumed by so many things in and around the business, that we lose our emotional balance – we become negative, risk averse, less creative, and certainly not fun to be around. It doesn’t take too long for the staff to feel and see our tensions. Such behaviour from the team leader or business manager can and will affect team performance.
Firstly, in the teams I coached, I made sure that when I was diverted away from leading the group; when I became somewhat remote because we were either not performing well or there was some behavioural or personal issues that were weighing on my emotions, my ‘team leaders’ who were assistant coaches or senior players within the team would either take me aside, and give me a good shake-up; or would understand I needed some time to problem-solve, and so they would calmly step into the breach till I was back on deck.
So making sure as a manager, leader or coach you have the right people around you is critical. And then of course, have the courage to let them take over when it is necessary.
Secondly, in terms of mindset though, I believe there is always a silver lining in every dark cloud – the role of the leader is to find it!
It was my experience that when our team was not playing well, or there were issues within the group which were getting in the road of what we were trying to achieve, there was an obstacle(s) which needed identifying, and then off course fixing. More often than not, the problem was not something that was earth shattering. It generally revolved around a basic, a fundamental, a task or routine which had been short-cut.
For managers, leaders and coaches, I would suggest the following if you are not already doing so –
- Make sure you have the right people around you
- Let them lead when it is necessary
- The solutions to problems in your business or team, generally lie in fundamentals, the basics of what has made you successful previously
Written by John Buchanan
