Autonomy

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Dustin Dale

"Hey, team, I'd like you to own this project and create the staffing plan with how many people we will need to complete it a week early. Let's revisit this a week from now and run through the game plan with me. Sound good?"

One week later...

"Hey team, I don't really like the plan. Doesn't seem like a good plan. Instead, we will do it this way and run with my timeline."

This was an actual meeting I was involved in. Which side of the conversation was I on?

I was on the side of the table where the plan my team and I came together to create was told it was garbage and listened to our boss, who loved to feed their ego during that meeting.

I learned that day that leaders need to understand how autonomy works.

Do you have leaders in your organization who operate like this? It Might be time to pay attention and observe.

There is a time and place for leaders to be direct and give clear direction, but for the most part, there are more times and more places to allow your team to take the lead.

One of the greatest psychology teachings I was exposed to is that lack of confidence is primarily due to uncontrolled outcomes.

People lose confidence or become "fearful" because they are unsure of the outcome. This is a driving force that is often forgotten.

This leader I worked for basically crushed our ability or maybe a better word, ambition to take the lead because we were told that our plan was garbage.

Now, was our plan garbage? I'll tell you how it ended at the end of this article.

Some leaders lack self-awareness, and it might not be intentional that they need to always speak up, dive in, or give direction; it's just a framework or behavior pattern that they are stuck in.

Based on the verbal and nonverbal cues, they don't realize that the team feels belittled or annoyed that their leader always has to say something.

This is also why coaching is critical in the workplace and from an outside perspective. If no one helps that leader understand that they don't need to be involved in every little thing, always have to have the last word, or always make the final decision, then the cost could be detrimental to the company.

Allowing your team to operate autonomously will enable them to self-develop and increase their emotional intelligence!

Yes! Autonomy is one of the best training methods for building stronger teams.

Why?

The team has to revert to basic behaviors such as problem-solving and conflict resolution through communication, adaptability, resource finding, and building mental resilience.

When a leader removes these abilities by not allowing the team to make decisions, work through conflict, or set their accountability for project deadlines, the team becomes more or less order-takers, which can stall progress, promotion, and morale.

If you are a leader who struggles with this, here are a few questions you can journal to help you become comfortable with this process.

Please write these questions out and then answer them.

1. What do I gain by giving all the directions?
2. What does my team gain by not making any decisions?
3. How will this benefit the team/company overall by not allowing the team to design the plan?
4. Why must I constantly weigh in on every plan, meeting, or conversation?
5. How would I feel if I was in my team's position?

These questions are not easy to answer, but a successful leader knows that the first thing should be the hard thing. Asking and answering these questions truthfully can bring a whole new level of clarity; thus, we are now building emotional intelligence.

So, how did the story play out?

We (the team) followed our leader's plan exactly as they instructed, and we did not ask questions or try to change anything.

Once the project was complete and our bosses' boss validated us, the moment of truth came.

Some details that were supposed to be completed at a specific timeframe later were completed.

Our (the team's) plan accounted for those timeframes and included the task at the correct times.

So why didn't we speak up? It wouldn't have changed anything. This leader was 100% sure their input was correct instead of listening, observing, and communicating from our point of view.

Autonomy is one of the greatest gifts and behaviors a leader can embrace, and if they choose to withstand the "fears," they often find that the team comes out much stronger on the other side.

Are you focused on taking your leadership development to the next level?

• Work directly with Dustin Dale through his elite leadership coaching program. Here is your direct invite to begin with a free intro call: Beyond the Horizon Consulting (bth.consulting)
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Book Links:

Learn to Lead by Serving; The Workbook! https://a.co/d/h2ahnFG

Learn to Lead by Serving: https://a.co/d/dsgJQFj

Learn to Lead by Serving 2: https://a.co/d/isIeTRR