Leading Through T.I.M.E.

I have been studying the art / science of leadership and people development for over twenty years.  During my studies and research I have found there are many different theories, concepts and ideas about both but there are three undisputed, unquestionable fundamental principles that hold true in regards to leadership and followership. 

1.    Leadership is a process – Good leaders are good, more than likely because they continue to practice good followership. There is no leadership shake we can drink to expedite our leadership potential. We have to become a student of leadership, apply it when the opportunity presents itself and learn through trial and error. Additionally, we have to seek opportunities to refine our leadership styles, skill sets and knowledge. One of the best ways to develp our own leadership is to surround ourselves with great leaders.

2.    Leadership cannot exist without followership and followership cannot exist without leadership.  It sound like a simple and common sense statement but confusion arrises between the two all of the time. A wise person once said, “If you think you are leading and turn around to see no one following you then you are just taking a walk”.  Leaders need followers or leadership cannot and will not exist. Therefore, if no one is folllowing you in your organization, you are not leading. Our positions do not make us leaders, the people who follow us do.

3.    The space that lies between leadership and followership is opportunity.  These opportunities allow us to mutually grow with our followers and develop ourselves as more effective leaders.  It provides the opening to inspire and help others reach their full potential while reaching ours.  Great leaders maximize the the opportunities in this space to make their organizations better, their people better and to better themselves continuously.

The concept the T.I.M.E.

T.I.M.E. is a leadership concept I developed on the premise that “Leadership is the privileged opportunity to positively influence another person’s life while accomplishing significant goals and objectives”. It is built on the foundation of accomplishing goals, assignments, and tasks through the development of our people. T.I.M.E. is a concept you do with people not to people. The T.I.M.E. model is a continuum. A continuum is a range or series of things that are slightly different from each other and that exist between different possibilities.

 The reason I refer to TI.M.E. as a continuum is because one element builds on another. The leaders uses their role as a teacher to gain influence with the follower, thus opening the possibility for mentorship to occur and finally using the mentorship platform to equip the people we lead. The concept of T.I.M.E. can be used in all areas of our leadership but effective leaders take a holistic approach to developing their people. Leaders model behaviors consistent with ethical values and serve as teachers and mentors. They instruct, encourage and demonstrate a vested interest in the success of those they lead. Leadership is a privilege and it is imperative that leaders pass on their knowledge and experience to those they serve. The most effective leaders never miss a chance to teach by approaching every interaction as an opportunity for them to gain positive influence. The T.I.M.E. concept is important because it provides a framework for a healthy productive relationship between leaders and followers.  

Defining the elements of T.I.M.E.

Teach – According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word “teach” comes from the Middle English word techen, meaning, “to show, demonstrate or instruct.” Teaching is the process of conveying understanding, experience and knowledge from one with expertise, to one without the same level of proficiency or capability.   For leaders, teaching must remain continuous. Teaching as applied to T.I.M.E. is used as a gateway to gain influence with the follower. This is accomplished through the scholastic, positive, trustworthy relationship earned and attributed to the teacher / student relationship.

Influence – According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary influence is the power to change or affect someone or something: the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen. Influence as applied to T.I.M.E. is used as an opportunity to positively impact the follower. Influence is earned by the leader and if done correctly will lead to the opportunity to mentor the follower. Influence is a crucial element of the T.I.M.E. concept, because leadership cannot not exist without influence.

Mentor – Like teaching, mentorship is the concept in which one individual has experience and knowledge and is seeking to guide another whose development they have taken interest in. To be effective however, the mentee must choose the mentor. Mentoring is a voluntary relationship between two individuals cannot not be directed or forced.  Most leaders naturally mentor others but it is always with the  permission of the follower.

Equip – The action of equipping has several definitions outlined the same way in most dictionaries. All three of the definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary are applicable to the T.I.M.E…. 

1. To provide (someone) with necessary materials or supplies.

2. To provide (something) with a particular feature or ability.

3. To prepare (someone) for a particular activity or problem.

Using teaching, influence, and mentorship the leader is seeking to equip the follower with the tools necessary to succeed in whatever endeavor they are in pursuit of. The leader is assisting the follower in reaching his or her full potential. They are seeking to equip those they lead with the apparatuses necessary to obtain increased responsibility, professional success, and personal fulfillment.    

“Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness because they are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can weave a world for themselves”.

                                                                                                                Parker J. Palmer

Great leaders are great teachers both endeavors complement each other. I’ve come to this conclusion because every time I address a group of people in a leadership role I am always attempting to teach them something. Equivalently, every time I have instructed or taught a group of people I am leading them through the subject material. If we are to grow and learns as leaders we must become effective teachers. I’ve found through my personal growth journey the best way to learn something and truly live it by example is to teach it to others. When we approach out study habits and absorb information as if we were going to have to teach it to others, we view it from a different perspective. We actually hold ourselves accountable to learning it from a perspective of explanation. Think about it! If I know that I am going to have to teach something I will more than likely pay more attention to the why, the how and the ways of the subject matter. Learning to teach requires patience, understanding and effort these elements run parallel with that quality of a leader. 

Embrace your role as a teacher. 

Teaching is an art much like leadership, so many concepts, theories and practices surround them, they can never be mastered. This means we are always looking for better ways to improve the practice of them. The first step a leader must take with regards to developing their people is to view their role as that of a teacher. Once this role is embraced the leader is better equipped to provide sound counsel, guidance and tutelage to their constituent.  Teachers are, by nature in the capacity of servitude. This vantage point puts the leaders in a prime position to earn the trust of the follower because teaching is the passing of knowledge from one that knows to one that does not. Acting from a position of servitude places the teacher in an honorable position from the beginning of the leader / follower relationship. This trust will become the foundation of the leaders ability to transition from a platform of teaching to the influence needed to eventually mentor the follower. In my humble opinion it starts with becoming s sound teacher, this role opens the door to all developmental endeavors. It is never about an inheritance or what we leave people that counts, it really is about what we leave in them that matters in the end.