One would not expect an athlete to show up for a big game or event who was not in shape or prepared yet how often do we see this happen in business? Perhaps someone has suddenly resigned or a new leadership role has been created and we expect whoever assumes this role to "run with it" and somehow succeed right away. It's as if the message was "Ready, Lead!" with no chance to get set or "Lead, Lead Lead!" with no opportunity to first get ready.
Often times we have unrealistic expectations of new leaders and expect them to be able to go from 0 to 60 with no warm up time or preparation. Or perhaps it is the new leader who is full of self-confidence and so eager to prove himself or herself that has set such high expectations and put pressure on themselves. Either way, when the leader comes up short it leads to frustration and disappointment because, like the athlete, the leader was not quite ready or properly conditioned to start performing at such high levels right away.
Most organizations employ many individuals with the potential to provide some level of leadership with proper training and preparation. But these individuals who show potential need some time to get ready and have expectations clearly set before they can take off and be expected to show their real leadership potential.
Who are you looking at in your organization to possibly assume a leadership role in the future and what are you doing now to help them get ready for that important role? And who in your organization may already be in a key leadership or management role but may be struggling to keep up and could use some help?
Just like the owner or head coach of an athletic team, business owners and executives must look at the talent on their team and determine who is best suited for what position and ensure that all team members have the proper conditioning and training to perform to their highest potential. Ready, set, lead is the best way to make sure your team will be able to keep up and maybe even pull ahead of your competition.
For more info on how to prepare your leaders contact us.