Recently, I was having a client session with a company owner and his leadership team.
I asked the team if it had been implementing the tools in the EOS Toolbox™ they learned down to their direct reports. A few awkward moments followed, filled with blank stares and silence. That’s when the owner broke in…
“What I heard is you don’t have faith in your people.”
Delegate And Elevate™
For his part, the owner had been successful in practicing Delegate and Elevate implementing EOS® so that the company was less dependent on him. Meanwhile, the leadership team had stepped up in accountability and solving issues openly and honestly to move towards the company vision. They are resolving people issues quicker for the greater good.
However, things are still being dropped in their own departments, quarterly priorities are missed, and the culture isn’t being lived out in lower levels. Hence, the observation from the owner.
To gain sustainable traction towards your vision, your leaders have to learn to Delegate and Elevate themselves so they’re not the bottleneck of the organization. Individuals on your leadership team may be hitting a ceiling in their own personal development to lead their team, thus impacting the whole organization. Here are four steps to get them unstuck to take your company from good to great!
Growing Your Leadership Team From Good To Great
- Get them past their belief that nobody else can do what they do. You, as the owner, have to get past this belief as well which allows you to grow your leaders and thus your business. When one of your leaders feels that their department cannot survive without them, egos and entitlement start setting in.
- Support them in conveying a compelling vision to their team. Owners usually have no problem getting their leaders excited about the vision and expect the same passion from their leaders in communicating that vision to their team. When owners are involved with their leadership team in conveying the vision to the rest of the company, it grounds everyone in the importance of doing their part towards that vision.
- Get your leaders to take action by following the process and using the tools that have made your leadership team step up. In EOS, this is rolling out the 5 Foundational Tools (V/TO™, Accountability Chart, Rocks, Meeting Pulse™, Scorecard). It may not be easy, but it is what’s required for the whole company to embrace the vision, gain traction towards that vision, and operate in a healthy and cohesive way.
- Check progress along the way. Set up checkpoints to ensure your leadership team is following the process and using the tools. You may have to observe some meetings and establish measurement points to validate progress with your leadership team. The Organizational Checkup® is a great way to measure progress in these areas.
Helping Your Leaders Get Traction Towards Your Vision
Following this process will reduce the anxiety of your leadership team with a path towards success. But implementing these tools at the leadership team is only half the battle. To gain real, sustainable traction towards your vision, your leadership team has to deploy the tools to their own teams. That will get you on your way from being good to being GREAT!
Next Steps:
- Download a free chapter of How to Be a Great Boss to learn how to lead, manage, and create accountability on your team.
- Watch Mark O’Donnell describe the 8 Questions Your Leadership Team Should Answer to help you clarify your company vision.
- Take the Organizational Checkup to get a picture of your company’s strengths and weaknesses, along with a roadmap for improvement.
Previously published on the JDSM blog.
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