As leaders, this is a question that should be constantly front of mind. After all, you are not a leader unless you are being followed – sounds obvious, but it is not. Think about it for a second. Can you recall any time in your career when a new leader was appointed, but the team did not seem to connect with them? They might have come in telling everyone what to do and how to do it, or perhaps the opposite was true, and they left everyone to their own devices because ‘they all know what to do’.
In the first instance, you might have noticed some team members getting upset with the micromanagement; and in the second one, you might have seen some of them a bit lost, not being clear on what the expectations were. The point of this simplified example is to highlight that your ability to lead a team will be directly proportional to your ability to generate followership. Traditionally, when we think about leadership styles, we tend to focus all our attention on the leader.
What are they like? Are they warm and approachable or are they cold and distant? Do they tend to be extroverted or introverted? Is their communication style direct and specific or is it inquisitive and curious? We tend to try to classify these traits and then figure out the recipe for the perfect leader, studying the examples of many people who have led many different teams, only to realise none of them was perfect (who is?) and likely if we had swapped them with each other their teams’ results would have not been the same. Why? Because in leadership, it is all about the people you lead.
Defining the goal
Generating followership is not about one single thing, there are many elements that need to be combined: trust, understanding, empathy, and the list goes on. Human relationships are complex and specific outcomes can rarely be attributed to a single cause. However, when it comes to achieving results, one of the elements I have found to be of critical importance is alignment. Why? Because having alignment takes us closer to clearly specified goals, better understanding of what the desired results are, and a more objective assessment of performance.
One of the fastest ways to get alignment is to clearly define what a good outcome looks like. If we take an example of asking for a report, it’s not about asking someone to write a report, it’s about asking for a report that looks like this, has this information, and can be used for this purpose.
Having an alignment conversation on what a good outcome looks like allows individuals to ask clarifying questions and to use their creativity to own the task and produce the results – the key word there being ownership. When we own the outcome rather than the task, we truly give it our best attempt, and because we have taken the time to define those outcomes clearly, we greatly increase the likelihood of success.
Turning our attention to the individual
Once the outcomes are defined, we must consider the capability and willingness of the individual to achieve those outcomes. Are these outcomes motivating for them? Are they challenging? Are they reasonably within their level of expertise? A very enthusiastic person will say yes to everything you throw at them, but it would be a mistake to confuse confidence with competence.
While you do want to stretch people and help them reach higher highs, you don’t want to do it to an extreme where it is counterproductive, and the easiest way to inadvertently set people up for failure is asking them if they can do the task.
Asking people if they can do something puts them in a defensive state, either consciously or unconsciously. Nobody wants to admit to not being capable of doing something, which can lead to saying yes when not ready and the inevitable struggle that will go with the accomplishment of a task they were not ready to perform.
Another way to approach it which may lead to better results is to shift the focus from asking if they can do it, to being curious about how many times they have done this or a similar task. This will likely get them in a reflective state, where they can relate other tasks they have done in the past – and the skills they developed while doing them – to the task at hand. This will give you (and them) a much better understanding of where they stand in the spectrum of capabilities required for this particular assignment.
Having a clear picture of the individual’s capabilities in relation to the task will allow you to get a better understanding of the level of directiveness or autonomy that is best suited. Someone who has not done the task before, or only a handful of times, will appreciate a more direct explanation of the steps. It won’t be micromanaging; it will be the direction the person needed.
Someone who has done something many times and is keen to continue to do it will appreciate a more indirect support and less frequent check-ins. It won’t be leaving them alone to figure it out; it will be providing the right level of delegation. This simple example helps to highlight some of the reasons why we would need to change our style to be more helpful to the individual.
Does this mean we need to be someone we are not?
Just because a chameleon changes its colour to adapt to the environment it does not stop being a chameleon. Similarly, your ability to adapt your delivery and style to the one that is needed by the individual for that particular task or situation will greatly increase the likelihood of great results, alignment of thoughts, and a better relationship. You can still be yourself in the way you deliver the message.
In fact, this authenticity is a pre-requisite for trust, as any attempt to be someone fundamentally different from who you are will be painfully evident – people know when you are not being yourself. This is not about masking or changing who you are, it is about adapting how you address each situation to ensure the best outcome for the individual.
One final check
One thing to remember is that individuals grow, become more proficient and move along the spectrum of capabilities, so your style for them should not be static. Similarly, the fact that they need a more directive approach for one task does not mean they need the same approach for another. Your leadership style for them should be matched to the task at hand and the desired outcomes, so do not make the inadvertent mistake of always taking the same approach for the same individuals – each of them will have different needs depending on the task being performed.
It is also beneficial to perform a quick check to make sure you are not making any wrong assumptions about the right level of involvement from you. You can do this by asking if there is something more or less they may need from you for that particular task, now or in the future, which leaves the door open for an ongoing dialogue. This alignment will create better understanding, increased trust, and a great experience for people, who in turn will be more inclined to gift you with their followership.
What is one action you can implement this week as a result of reading this article? Give it a go and let me know how you go!
