Posts Tagged ‘Delegation – a key to everyone’s success’
Can Too Much Passion Be Dangerous?
In our August 2009 newsletter (http://www.msbcoach.com/Articles.php) we addressed passion and leadership. I hope you took the time to answer the questions addressed. If you did not, here they are again:
- What am I passionate about?
- Where did I begin to lose my passion?
- Did I compromise and if so where?
- What can I do to get my passion back?
- What is the price and am I willing to pay that price?
Passion is an important part of life and is especially important in the lives of leaders; however if we are not careful our passions can be dangerous. Have you ever heard the statement, “Crimes of Passion?”
When passion is unbridled, it can become an obsession. With passion, we drive ourselves. Passion attracts others to us. An obsession, on the other hand, controls us. Leaders who are obsessed are not passionate; they are controlled and become slaves to their own compulsions thus affecting those around them.
If you lead people out of fear or control, you are working from an obsession. If you think you have passion yet look behind you and see that no one if following, you may be leading out of obsession. Obsession kills you and your team. Passion inspires you and those around you. If you find yourself in the realm of obsession rather than passion, take these steps to restore your balance:
Evaluate your obsession.
What is the root source of the obsession?
Is your obsession for personal gain or control?
List three steps you can take each day to rechannel your obsession into a passion people can follow.
Find a trusted accountability partner to hold you to these three steps.
Passion is magical. You must have it to lead. Chuck Gallozi (http://www.personal-development.com/chuck) in his article titled “Developing Passion” gave 12 steps to deepen and develop you passion. They are as follows:
1. Take responsibility. The only bad hand you have been dealt in life was dealt by you. From today, “Don’t do things half-assed,” says Hugh Young, “If a thing is worth doing at all, it’s worth doing as well as you can possibly do it. Pick out something you think is worthwhile and do it or work at it with passion. Do it with all your might.”
2. You find what you look for. Instead of looking for the bad in your job or situation, look for the good. Look for the opportunities. Search for the solutions. Look for the way.
3. Make a plan. Once you’ve found some opportunities and solutions, make a plan of action. What should you avoid doing and what should you start doing now?
4. Make a decision. Now that you have a plan, decide to act on it. Set deadlines and start following your new road map to success. Enjoy the ride.
5. Stoke the fire of passion. To keep passion’s fire burning brightly, review the day’s events in the evening. Monitor your progress. Relish your achievements and learn from your mistakes.
6. Don’t douse the flames. You want to ignite your life with passion, but be careful of burnout. Work hard, but schedule breaks, leisure, entertainment, and family time. Don’t forget to reward yourself occasionally.
7. Recharge your batteries. Make time for the gym, sports, long walks, or meditation to relieve stress, refresh you spirit, and renew your energy.
8. “Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” (Henry Miller)
9. Take brief “awareness breaks” throughout the day to remind yourself of the joy of being alive.
10. Avoid negative people and associate with enthusiastic people.
11. Share your zest for life with others. Brighten up their day. Their warm response will reinforce your passion.
12. Take “vitamins for the mind.” That is read or listen to motivational material to keep the flames burning.
© Chuck Gallozzi
At MSBCoach, we are passionate out leadership development, coaching and building high performance teams. If you would like to talk to us about opportunities to partner with MSBCoach please contact us at: info@msbcoach.com, 804-502-4319 or visit our sites:
www.msbcoach.com or www.emergingleader.info.
We hope to hear from you!
Dirty Delegation?
Michelle Braden, cbc
Why is it people often think of delegation as “dirty?” Delegation allows the human leverage for accomplishments and people development that would not otherwise be possible. Through my years in management I worked with many different people, none of them alike; however, as in so many areas of human behavior we can categorize people groups. I found three categories when it came to delegation…. Those who loved it, those who hated it and those with a good balance. I am sure you have already guessed a good balance is what leaders should be striving to attain.
I found those who loved to delegate were very good at it. It seemed they could find people anywhere to do their work. There is strength in their ability to see what others are good at and have them do it. People want to be good at something, but they also want a leader who is leading with integrity. One who will mentor, train, encourage and work just as hard as they are. This advantage can become a leader’s disadvantage when it is inappropriately or overused. The result is lack of trust and resentment.
The other extreme were those who hate delegating. These individuals would rather do it themselves, miss deadlines, have poorly completed or projects not done at all. I found these leaders did not like confrontation, feared not being liked, fear of loss of authority/control, liked the role of martyr or were not willing to take the time to teach others. Therefore, they ended up taking too much on their plate. When this happens everyone suffers. Workloads should be equally shared on a team. People want the opportunity to be a part of a team, accomplish new tasks, and take on new challenges…. To boldly go where no man has gone before! Lack of delegation handicaps the leader and their team.
The most gifted and talented person only has so much energy and 24 hours in a day. Delegation allows one person to accomplish much more. This brings us to the last category which is “good balance”. Influential leaders are training and coaching their team members on a continual basis. They see there strengths and potential. They are not afraid to give them opportunity, to take them “under their wing” and train them. They are not afraid to let them fail – knowing failure is one of the best teachers. They are there when they fail: to pull them up, dust them off, encourage, mentor and help them evaluate what they need to do differently. “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way,” Dale Carnegie.
Leaders birth other leaders and the only way they can do that is to be willing to properly delegate. Not all delegation is complicated. You will have team members who are good at a project, you tell them what to do and they will run with it; however, others will need mentoring, encouragement, instruction, feedback, etc. A leader with strong balance in delegation will know their team members, their strengths, motivators, what they are already good at, where they have potential to be good and where they need coaching.
A leader who delegates appropriately also knows their team members may not do things the way they do, or as well as they do, but recognizes this as part of the process. Allowing people to explore new ways to accomplish projects is imperative. Jim Goodwin once said, “The impossible is often the untried.” Bishop W.C. Magee said, “The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.” A good leader will allow their people to try new things, new ways of doing them and yes make mistakes!
Surround yourself with excellent people. Take time to delegate to them effectively. Enjoy developing your team, learning and seeing them grow. Hopefully, they will be better than you…. Your ceiling should be their floor…. To be so uninhibited… That is an admirable leader – www.msbcoach.com
