The best functioning teams are led by managers who encourage employees to oversee their own work. Managers look to their employees to act as “leaders” of their own projects.
What I mean is this: A good supervisor not only delegates tasks but also:
- assigns employees who possess skills for the job;
- puts them in charge of executing their own tasks; and
- gives them room to decide how best to complete the assigned work without either micromanaging or offering unsolicited ideas, suggestions and mandates 24/7.
It all comes down to being a good manager, which translates into being an effective leader.
Let’s break this concept down further. First, there’s a certain win-win with recognizing your team members’ strengths and skills and assigning them appropriately to perform a specific task or job function. Second, it makes for good business to ensure that your team functions optimally without your constant supervision or intervention. And third, the valuable result is freed up time for you to focus on any necessary big picture, vision, or strategy work, as well as to handle other work-related issues. It inevitably will help reduce your stress, because you’re not doing everyone else’s work!
That said, many managers incorrectly equate leading their team effectively and well with a need to control just about every aspect of their employees’ work. Yet, the truth is that unhealthy approach happens to be very much the opposite of any degree of quality leadership . . .
- A good leader wants to see their employees be successful and soar in their tasks without constant hand-holding.
- A good leader gives employees the tools and information to do their jobs well, then walks away and lets them run with it.
Leaders who recognize and manage the strengths of their direct reports create teams with healthier interpersonal relations and happier workplaces. The numerous dividends of these efforts include:
- Building employee loyalty
- Producing quality work product
- Increasing business revenue
- Attracting the best job candidates
- Encouraging innovation on the job
- Promoting an exciting workplace
- Fostering a respectful workplace
- Decreasing your stress, as well as that of your employees
The short of it is this: There’s an immense payoff when you don’t “do it all.” So, get your team on strong footing by ensuring employees you manage have the leeway to lead their own individual charges. The first step is to align employees with the right assignments based on their strengths and skill sets.
Consider how you can implement these steps, and you’ll be headed toward leading at your very best!
