The festive season was a great time to kick off and forget about work… well as usual the lightning struck when you least expect it. This time it was when breaking in a new set of legos with my offspring.
Legos have been something I have loved building for a long time and something we have been doing for a while. This week it struck me how much similarities it has with leadership and strategy skill set learning and concepts.
Below I will share some ideas and try to illustrate those using some of the logo builds that we have made during the festive break.
- Industry Blueprints: Just like Lego instructions, industry standards and best practices provide a foundation. Leaders need to understand the rules of the game within their sector.
- Fundamental Skills: Individual Lego pieces represent the foundational skills of a leader – communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, etc.
- Teamwork: Lego building often involves teamwork, mirroring the collaborative nature of successful leadership.
- Identifying Gaps: Leaders need to constantly assess the situation, identify weaknesses, and find areas for improvement within their teams and organizations.
- Continuous Improvement: Adding "flourishes" to a Lego build is akin to implementing continuous improvement initiatives – small, incremental changes that lead to significant enhancements
- Resourcefulness: Working with limited Lego pieces encourages creativity and resourcefulness. Leaders must often achieve goals with the resources they have available.
- Adaptability: Unexpected challenges arise in both Lego building and leadership. The ability to adapt and find creative solutions is crucial.
- The Big Picture: Leaders need to see how individual pieces fit together to support and create the bigger design
- Innovation: Building upon existing designs, like expanding a Lego design, represents innovation and growth within an organization.
- Vision & Experimentation: "Tearing down half-done constructs" reflects the importance of being willing to pivot and try new approaches when necessary.
- Failure as a Learning Opportunity: In Lego building, mistakes are inevitable. But they provide valuable learning experiences. Leaders must embrace failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Breaking the Mold: Truly unique creations often involve breaking the rules and exploring new possibilities. Leaders need to encourage innovation and challenge the status quo.
- Passion & Enjoyment: The joy of Lego building underscores the importance of finding passion and enjoyment in one's leadership role.
- The Importance of Play: Lego building, at its core, is about play and exploration. Leaders should cultivate a sense of playfulness and curiosity within their teams to foster creativity and innovation.
So instead of that strategy book you were intending to read or the leadership podcast why not grab a set of Lego’s and go play!
