I’ve written before about how your leadership can either pull your company forward or impede the development of your key employees—and hold your company back. A big part of creating a great company is to have a business environment in which key players know that their ideas and opinions are valued. Smart leaders want their team to be involved in moving the company forward. Business leaders, however, sometimes struggle to balance inclusion and leadership. Is your job to collaborate or to lead?
Both are important. Good leaders know that they have to develop good listening skills and provide opportunities for employees to be heard. But your ultimate job as a leader is to lead. Of course, a key element of good leadership is overseeing the creation and implementation of solid strategy.
I recently came across an article by Tim Leberect, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, The Business Romantic Society, (you can read the article here) in which he makes a very insightful observation: “If you want others to follow, learn to be alone with your thoughts.”
Because leaders sometimes overemphasize collaboration they can end up with strategies that try to accommodate everyone. But they can end up being innefficient. Leberect also postulates that while, “effective collaboration is without doubt a key tenet of any successful human enterprise,” it is sometimes an excuse for poor leaders to avoid leading. In effect the “leader” abdicates his leadership role in the name of collabortion with others. Again, you have to ask yourself, “Is your job to collaborate or to lead?”
In contrast to that, I encourage you to look at the illustration above. Like any illustration, it’s not perfect, but it captures some key elements about balancing collaboration and leadership. The leader (in the middle) collects diverse ideas and opinions from the members of his leadership team. He or she listens, evaluates, and thinks about the input. Then the leader is responsible for developing and delivering a consistent strategy back to the team. The leader is also responsible for making sure everyone on the team is on the same page.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the leader develops the strategy in isolation. There should probably be collaboration in that regard as well. Still, the leader is responsible for ensuring that the strategy is aligned with the vision and mission of the company.
Collaboration is good, but it’s no substitute for leadership. Contact me to find out more about how you can change the way lead your team. That’s a big part of transforming your company into the high-growth business you want it to be.
Need help growing your business? With over 35 years of experience and thousands of companies assisted, Chuck Kocher and The Transformation Company can help you scale your business into a truly exceptional business capable of high growth strategies. Businesses are always changing, don’t let yours be left behind. Stand out with our business and executive leadership programs – designed to challenge and improve your business. Your business will thank you for it. Contact me today for a free consultation! 719-339-9505