There are several mistakes leaders can make when leading their digital teams and I’ve made a fair few in my time.
One of the worst mistakes leaders can make is thinking that they should always know better than the team.
One of the most powerful things a leader can admit is just because you are the leader it doesn’t automatically make you right.
A mistake I made very early on in my leadership journey, was to think my job was to have all the answers, just because of my title.
I thought that people would look to me to answer everything for them and that if I didn’t have the answers they’d think I was a fraud.
I cringe sharing that now as thankfully I learned that was not the way and was able to flip that mindset.
I’ve openly said to other people when describing my teams, these people are much smarter than me, that’s why I’ve employed them. My job is to create the environment, give them the resources and the vision to be the best they can be and get them as close to the customer problems they are solving as I can. Then frankly get out of their way until they need me.
You may have originally been a team member working closely with your customers as a “hands-on” person. However the higher you move up in the organisation structure, the further you get from the reality on the ground.
In addition, the digital world and technology moves so quickly your previous skills and experience can start to erode over time potentially making you less qualified to make the right decision on your own.
Listen to your teams who are often the closest to the customer, seek their thoughts, listen to their ideas, always be humble and open to learning.
A leader is a coach, not a judge.
Dr. W. Edwards Deming
If leaders can change their mindset from “I need to have all the answers” to “what are the answers my team needs my help with”, it can be truly transformational not only from a personal perspective for the leader but also for the team’s morale and performance.
Self-awareness in leadership is a superpower.
Original Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels
Posted in: Agile , Leadership