We were again in my office, which you are going to think is more a disaster recovery site, particularly after today. We were sitting in the dark … not because of the hour, but because the building had no power. Those servers from yesterday had the right information, and were once again doorstops … so we were brainstorming. Our options were not great, there was no easy answer, and it fell to our best “fast thinker.” He knew it, and started issuing commands on what we were now going to do…
… and you might think that would be hard for me, as the “leader,” to “permit.” This teammate was intimidating … particularly to those who didn’t know him well. We usually delegated the “difficult” conversations to him. This time the plan was telling users they would move temporarily to a different building, where we would load their information so they could keep working. Not a choice, the only way it would work, so he became our spokesperson. Firmly, respectfully, but this IS what is happening. Please gather your things and follow me.
With my title, I could have done it, but what he had in spades was credibility. Rabbit is described as “friendly, yet capable of being impatient and irritable. He fancies himself the smartest animal in the Hundred Acre Wood, since he is not scatterbrained like Tigger, Owl, or Pooh. He insists on doing things his way and is obsessed with rules, planning and order. He often bosses others around, but deep down, he cares a lot about his friends.” That is what we needed … command and control with clear directions. So we executed his plan.
Scott is the middle child, and therefore the older Avett Brother. Early on he thought he would be a singer, not a songwriter. Interestingly, he did think they would be successful, and already saw them as way more than they were. Like Rabbit, he was Often Wrong, Never in Doubt … with the vision that drove the band. He also saw that with Seth’s songwriting they were a powerful pair, and as that developed, it helped him find his own voice. Confidence matters in teams … building it in each other, encouraging the strengths you see that maybe they don’t…
It is an interesting leadership characteristic: to be a good leader, you also have to be a great follower. Particularly when the talent needed is not your strongest, and others have it. Leading and following peers is a skill highlighted by 1 of my favorite books, The NeXT Level. (I have changed the spelling just for fun.) Later in my career, competing no longer worked. EVERYTHING was done together, particularly when 1 of them was “leading.” Your job was to be a great follower, doing what you are asked, and trusting their approach. When I reduced that to practice (mostly), I was ready to be a VP…
Rabbit took the ball and ran with it, and I did everything to support and back him up. Seeing in others what they may not see in themselves, and developing it, is another leadership skill. Stepping back … and letting others step up … is the sign of a strong leader, 1 who develops strong direct reports. Look beneath good leaders and you find … lots of growing leaders, stretched and prepared for when you move on … sometimes within your control, and sometimes not.
As this season ended, 1 of my peers left Fannie for VeriSign, and Rabbit was ready for something new. I recommended him for a role there, which he, even though he wasn’t sure, of course landed easily. Eventually many of the team would follow … including my own middle son, who had struggled. I asked for help, something I didn’t do often (or enough, upon reflection) … and Rabbit called right back with a job for him. That steadied things, and he is thriving today.
A few years after I left Fannie, Rabbit called with the role that became the capstone of my career. The VP role I was now ready for, practiced at, having made all these mistakes somewhere else … and with that preparation, I made it look easy. That is 1 of the gifts of empoweringLEADERS … they help you now, and never forget the experience once they have tasted it. Are you growing your team to develop their talents, and the relationships that will last … a lifetime? It sounds corny, but you invest in Promises so that when you need to execute, you’re ready. It is way more than my business name. It is an ever-present gift if you look for it and develop it.
Your “Simple… Not Easy” move: the next time the lights go out, hand the play to the teammate with the credibility, and say so out loud. Then back him up in front of everyone.
This song has a dark title, but a very upbeat tune and message, and the video is hysterical… Are you forming a team that can execute … for a lifetime? Nobody knows what lies behind … the day we Die, Die, Die.
