Taking Ownership of Leading Others

Working with new and emerging leaders requires patience and humility and a healthy dose of self reflection. 

My name is James Mayhew, YOUR chief culture officer, and that’s the topic for this Jam Session.

The other day while working with a small group of new leaders, I was reminded of the importance of our language and communication styles. 

We began our session with a recap of how their week had gone. 

One of the things we’re working on is communicating the company’s core values to their teams as the new standard for what great performance looks like. 

One of them relayed parts of a conversation they had with a particularly challenging employee. “These aren’t going away and ‘they’ are making them a big deal.”

I asked the manager a follow up question:

"What did you mean by 'they?'"

"You are part of the group that created these!"

I smiled. The manager smiled...The message was received. 

It’s not theirs... it’s ours. 

That's why that it's so important to be patient with new leaders. 

To coach them. Encourage them. Support them. Challenge them. Lead them. 

And show them how to take ownership for the culture of their team. 

Do you remember how it was when you were new to leadership?

You were probably confident and had been preparing yourself for a while.

But the first few times you had to have a hard conversation or make a difficult decision, it was awkward. 

And in an effort to make it easier, you positioned yourself below your leadership level to relate to them...

“They want this, so we just have to do it.” (referring to the senior leadership or business owner)

I know that situation because I DID IT. 

And I’m guessing you can relate.

But whatever ground I thought I had gained with the team I later learned was actually a back slide. 

I failed at that part of leadership because I hadn’t taken ownership. 

That’s why it’s imperative to create a culture of coaching within your company. 

Be patient with new leaders, but not passive. 

Have a sense of urgency for their development but without rushing it. 

And instill a sense of confidence that’s covered by humility. 

That’s a winning formula.