So often, leading means “letting go”. It’s not something that most leaders think about since we generally focus on what we need to do, what we need to get, what we need to drive or change but rarely, outside of enforced budget cuts, do we think about what needs to go.
Sometimes “letting go” is the element that allows a leader to delegate more effectively. Sam, a leader that I worked with recently, realized that he needed to let go of the idea that he could do the work himself, or that others’ had too much on their plates to be asked to do more. He came to realize that he was not focused on important strategic work that only he was positioned to do because he was too busy doing work that others could. He realized that he needed to spend more time outlining expectations and distributing assignments thoughtfully in order to free himself to truly contribute value to the company.
More often then not, letting go means reframing our thinking. It means recognizing that we’re stuck because we can’t shift away from some belief or image of ourselves or our company that we haven’t tested in awhile. Think about what would happen if you seriously let go of the following beliefs:
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I understand my customer
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Our business model is sound
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I use my time effectively
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My team is motivated
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Our ABC process is sound
No question that these “what ifs” can be scary. No one likes to think that he may not understand his customer. But this fear is the very opening that your competition can exploit. So isn’t avoiding the question even more frightening?
Sometimes actively challenging our own beliefs is the first step in seeing the opportunities before us. So take a minute, write down a few beliefs that you hold and then test them. You may surprise yourself.
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