Are you a ball hog?

If you're managing a team of employees, you know that the wins (and the losses) are almost always on your head (if they're not, then you need to question the company culture). And while this is fair, it's important to make sure that you create leadership opportunities for your team as well. This helps build trust with your team because it makes them feel like they are an important part of any project or process. It creates shared responsibility--and this creates an expansion in creativity and initiative. 

If you're not letting your team take on some leadership opportunities you're not leading, you're micro-managing. 

I know it can be tough sometimes to trust people with big projects or tasks. But if you've put in the work to build trust and rapport with your team, they are more likely to exceed your expectations than to leave you with egg on your face. Does that mean they're going to hit the mark every single time? Probably not. But when they don't, if you're leading with compassion and care, those moments become lessons on the way to future success, not pitstops at failure.

​

These leadership opportunities are priceless BECAUSE of the risk of failure, not in spite of the risk of failure. It allows your team to try something new and shine. When standards are set high, people usually rise to the challenge. And it communicates to your team that you trust them and that you value their input and work. 

So ask yourself today: when was the last time you created an opportunity for leadership within your team? 

If you've never done this with your team, start out small and incrementally. You don't want to throw them in the ring with a huge project if they are only used to you micromanaging them (yeah, I said it). This can backfire and they might feel like you are setting them up to fail (which you inadvertently are since you haven't let them practice their leadership with projects that are low stakes before).

 

Whatever and whenever you decide to do this, make you use the following guidelines:

​

1. Give clear instructions on what the project is. You don't want to leave out any information (even if you consider it "common sense") in order to set your team up for success.

2. Assign a point person. Or two. Always, always do this. It doesn't always have to be the same person. And it doesn't always have to be the same white man (yeah, I said it). Give everyone on your team the opportunity to shine. This will also help you see where their strengths lie so you can better utilize your team for efficiency and growth. 

3. Establish clear outcomes and processes for evaluation. Consider this the rubric; that way your team knows how they will be measured and what the target objectives are. 

4. Check-in consistently and offer guidance when necessary--WITHOUT taking over. Let your team figure some things out; coach them through the process. Consider this as part of their professional development as you coach and mentor your team.

5. Give adequate and helpful feedback. Don't be critical if the coloring or font is something you personally don't like (but has nothing to do with the project). Give feedback in accordance with what your clear outcomes and expectations were--that's it. This will let your team know where they stand at the end, what they did well, and what they could improve upon. 

6. Celebrate the wins. And the losses. If it's a major win at the end--great! Take your team to happy hour or treat them with an ice cream social in the office. If it's a loss, remember: never a failure, always a lesson. Schedule a debrief to tackle what went wrong and what could be learned from the experience. 

7. Be open to feedback. Even if it's not what you want to hear. Listen, you're not a perfect leader. Maybe you miscommunication something or left out a critical piece of information. Or maybe you had something personal come up and ghosted on your team for a few weeks leaving them to fend for themselves. That's okay. But be open to receiving that critique from your team; let them share their concerns with you (and encourage them to!). This will also build trust and cohesion with your team. 

 

So how are you going to create these opportunities for your team in the coming weeks? There's no time like the present and, actually, this is the best time to share some leadership with them. Don't be a ball hog! Just because you're leading the team doesn't mean you give up being a team player. 

​

We'd love to partner with you on team building experiences at your organization or support you on your leadership journey. Book your discovery call today!